This is a lesson that everybody better learn real fast or it’s going to cost you a lot of customers and maybe even your business itself. Right or wrong, the image you portray to others is going to come back to haunt you if it’s not one that your customer is going to appreciate. This image comes across in everything you do online, including, and most importantly, how you behave. This article is going to give you a real life example, leaving out the names to protect the guilty, of how you can destroy your image and reputation to boot. I suggest you read this very carefully.

A while ago, a rather well known marketer went on a rampage, belly aching about some customer who wasn’t happy with his service. Instead of trying to take care of the problem privately, he aired his dirty laundry out on a public forum. He bashed this customer every way he could. He may have very well be right about the customer’s actions and attitude, but the customer is ultimately right because they are the ones who decide whether or not they buy YOUR product. Well, as a result, because of the severity of the tirade, this marketer ended up damaging his reputation. Members of the forum saw how mean and vindictive he could be and he lost a lot of business, at least from the forum members.

Everything you do has consequences, both good and bad. I personally try to minimize the bad ones as much as I can. That’s why I read “How To Win Friends…” as it is an excellent instructional guide on how to deal with others. More people should read it as there is some great advice in it. However, I am going to give you some advice today that is specifically directed towards YOUR business. I suggest you heed it.

First of all, NEVER air disputes out in public. It makes you look small and petty. Right or wrong, people don’t like other people who whine and complain about customers. What if the same thing happened to them when they bought one of your products? They might think twice about buying from you. There’s a lost sale.

The next thing you want to do is make sure you have a support system in place that has a backup manual system. Sometimes stuff happens. Support tickets don’t get posted correctly or whatever. Make sure you give each customer an alternative means of reaching you. In your support ticket response, make them aware that if they don’t received a reply in 24 hours, or whatever the time frame is, to check the help desk. Give them a backup email to contact you at if you can. Nothing is 100%.

Finally, treat customers with respect. They’re real people with real feelings and not just nameless email addresses.

By following the above tips, you’ll project an image of somebody who actually cares about his customers.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

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