Recently, I wrote about setting boundaries in freelance writing. Dealing with difficult clients is certainly an issue, but at the other end of the spectrum, what about customer service? If you’ve ever been stuck in some company’s automated phone system (and who hasn’t?), you know many companies don’t put a priority on customer service. As independent entrepreneurs, freelancers can’t afford the same bad customer service we’ve come to expect in today’s world.
I’m a fan of Robert Ringer – I generally agree with what he says and like the way he says it. As an advocate of self-publishing, I’m excited that he self-published his first two books, which made the New York Times best-seller list. He later sold the rights to a major publisher, and those books are listed among the 15 best-selling motivational books of all time.
He covered customer service in recent issues of his newsletter. Although he starts out by talking about large organizations, he ends the series with this reminder:
Finally, if you’re an independent entrepreneur, everything is in your lap, because you are both the employee and the employer. Without customers, you have nothing. Treat them like the valuable assets they are. The only rigid policy you should have is that the customer must be satisfied at all costs.
Customer Service Is a Mind-set, Part I
Customer Service Is a Mind-set, Part II
Customer Service Is a Mind-set, Part III
Of course, my favorite customer service guru is Johnny, whom I wrote about in The Simple Truths of Service: Will You Be a Johnny Today?
Related Post:
A Tale of Two Companies: the Worst and the Best
[tags]customer service, Robert Ringer, Simple Truths of Service[/tags]