The article raises some good points, but it's worth considering that even if you take note of everything written here and everything ever written about striking the right tone of voice as a customer service agent, you may still end up sounding patronising, repetitive or dismissive. Because your communication will often be surrounded by some wider context. Consumer services aimed at less technical customers are well-known for this sort of thing - addressed them by name? Check. Sprinkled in some positive words? Check. But none of that matters if you've gotten their name wrong or are replying in exactly the same tone to every customer in a public forum. Your attempts at improving communications just end up making people frustrated.