My friend Sara knows me warts and all. I let Sara in whether I feel repulsively needy or shamelessly fabulous. In Sara's presence, my self-regard (or lack thereof) melts like butter in sunshine.

And what does Sara get? My undying loyalty, for one thing. Overflowing gratitude, for another. And all the permission she can stand to be her sweet self irrespective of the state of her own self-esteem. Paradoxically, she gets the best of me precisely because I don't hide the worst.

WHAT DOES IT HAVE IN COMMON WITH GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE? HOW IS A CUSTOMER LIKE A BEST FRIEND?

Like a best friend, your just-right customer wants what you do the way you do it, not what you think you need to do it to compete. They want you to be authentic and clear so that what you advertise is what they get.

Like a best friend, your just-right customer wants to know you care and that you can be counted on. That doesn't mean they expect you to meet their every need. It does mean that they want to feel secure in the knowledge that what you offer is what you truly want to share.

And like a best friend, your just-right customer deserves access whether or not you happen to be operating at the peak of self-esteem.

Just as a friend may rightfully resent being pushed away when you feel "less than," your just-right customers are ill-served when you withdraw just because your self-esteem has bottomed out.

It's natural to retreat when you feel low or inadequate, but it's unfair to do it to a customer. How can you serve your customer and make good on your offers if you're hiding out with your old bad self, replaying your most embarrassing moments and screening action features based on your greatest fears?

You may feel that hiding out is more ethical than promoting your work when you are full of self doubt -- but can you be sure? Is holding back for fear of being less than perfect really an act of integrity and good customer service?

When you place your self-esteem between you and a customer, you're like a teenager that leaves her date out in the cold while she agonizes over a blemish. A customer deserves a service and business relationship grounded in reality, not in the equivalent of a Harlequin romance.

If you're serious about growing your business, find ways to show up and serve as you really are. For tips on how to do this (because, after all, there is a difference between what is appropriate in business and friendship), read 5 Things Customers Want and How to Deliver Them.

5 THINGS CUSTOMERS WANT

1. To know what you can do to make their life better.
2. To be able to find out what it takes to be served by you and do business with you without jumping through lots of hoops.
3. To know you are a good fit.
4. To take a test drive without fearing the hard sell.
5. To compensate you for what they get so they needn't feel obliged and they feel good about asking for more.

1. Be up front, even bold, in stating how your goods or services make things better for them so that they can make a decision about whether to ask for more information. This respects their time and attention by answe
   Mystery Shopping for Fun and Profit
   How would you like to get paid to go shopping? That's right! Get paid to shop for clothes, eat in restaurants, watch movies, play golf, travel, and so on.You can have your cake and eat it too! Enjoy the best of both worlds. Make money and have fun at the same time as a mystery shopper.What is a Mystery Shopper?Sometimes known as a secret shopper, a mystery shopper looks like any other customer but is working undercover to perform market research or other tests on business establishments.For example, a mystery shopper may check on the quality of service and products at a particular fast food outlet.Were the staff friendly,
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   Like a best friend, your just-right customer wants what you do the way you do it, not what you think you need to do it to compete. They want you to be authentic and clear so that what you advertise is what they get.

   Like a best friend, your just-right customer wants to know you care and that you can be counted on. That doesn't mean they expect you to meet their every need. It does mean that they want to feel secure in the knowledge that what you offer is what you truly want to share.

   And like a best friend, your just-right customer deserves access whether or not you happen to be operating at the peak of self-esteem.

   Just as a friend may rightfully resent being pushed away when you feel "less than," your just-right customers are ill-served when you withdraw just because your self-esteem has bottomed out.

   It's natural to retreat when you feel low or inadequate, but it's unfair to do it to a customer. How can you serve your customer and make good on your offers if you're hiding out with your old bad self, replaying your most embarrassing moments and screening action features based on your greatest fears?

   You may feel that hiding out is more ethical than promoting your work when you are full of self doubt -- but can you be sure? Is holding back for fear of being less than perfect really an act of integrity and good customer service?

   When you place your self-esteem between you and a customer, you're like a teenager that leaves her date out in the cold while she agonizes over a blemish. A customer deserves a service and business relationship grounded in reality, not in the equivalent of a Harlequin romance.

   If you're serious about growing your business, find ways to show up and serve as you really are. For tips on how to do this (because, after all, there is a difference between what is appropriate in business and friendship), read 5 Things Customers Want and How to Deliver Them.

   5 THINGS CUSTOMERS WANT

   1. To know what you can do to make their life better.
   2. To be able to find out what it takes to be served by you and do business with you without jumping through lots of hoops.
   3. To know you are a good fit.
   4. To take a test drive without fearing the hard sell.
   5. To compensate you for what they get so they needn't feel obliged and they feel good about asking for more.
   HOW TO DELIVER THEM, OR WHAT MAKES GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE?
   1. Be up front, even bold, in stating how your goods or services make things better for them so that they can make a decision about whether to ask for more information. This respects their time and attention by answ
      How Creative Branding can Help Boring Businesses
      I come across a fair number of clients who apologize for their companies… “We’re sorry that manufacturing label paste is not the most interesting thing in the world.” Or, “There’s nothing we can do to stand out… we’re in the business of finding cheaper ways to for demolition customers to dump trash. We don’t dump the trash. We just research the cheapest way for them to dump their own trash. It’s really dry stuff.”Yes, neither of these companies is selling gourmet food, creating colorful board games, or packaging imported tea. Photographers often hear, “I’m not remotely photogenic,” to which they usually respond, “It’s my job to take a good picture—you just be you.” De
      as a friend may rightfully resent being pushed away when you feel "less than," your just-right customers are ill-served when you withdraw just because your self-esteem has bottomed out.

      It's natural to retreat when you feel low or inadequate, but it's unfair to do it to a customer. How can you serve your customer and make good on your offers if you're hiding out with your old bad self, replaying your most embarrassing moments and screening action features based on your greatest fears?

      You may feel that hiding out is more ethical than promoting your work when you are full of self doubt -- but can you be sure? Is holding back for fear of being less than perfect really an act of integrity and good customer service?

      When you place your self-esteem between you and a customer, you're like a teenager that leaves her date out in the cold while she agonizes over a blemish. A customer deserves a service and business relationship grounded in reality, not in the equivalent of a Harlequin romance.

      If you're serious about growing your business, find ways to show up and serve as you really are. For tips on how to do this (because, after all, there is a difference between what is appropriate in business and friendship), read 5 Things Customers Want and How to Deliver Them.

      5 THINGS CUSTOMERS WANT

      1. To know what you can do to make their life better.
      2. To be able to find out what it takes to be served by you and do business with you without jumping through lots of hoops.
      3. To know you are a good fit.
      4. To take a test drive without fearing the hard sell.
      5. To compensate you for what they get so they needn't feel obliged and they feel good about asking for more.
      HOW TO DELIVER THEM, OR WHAT MAKES GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE?
      1. Be up front, even bold, in stating how your goods or services make things better for them so that they can make a decision about whether to ask for more information. This respects their time and attention by answ
         Role of the UPS Store in the UPS System
         When is my box going to be delivered to me? This is a common question fielded by The UPS Store employees. The fact is that The UPS Store locations have nothing to do with delivering packages. Their role in the UPS system is to facilitate shipping.The local hub facility is responsible for delivering packages to the local area. They receive tractor trailer loads of packages to be sorted and loaded onto trucks throughout the night so that when the drivers come in, they can begin their delivery route.Of course, Air delivery packages have priority. Since they generally have a 10:30 a.m. guaranteed delivery time, these packages have to be delivered first. Since it is
         ect really an act of integrity and good customer service?

         When you place your self-esteem between you and a customer, you're like a teenager that leaves her date out in the cold while she agonizes over a blemish. A customer deserves a service and business relationship grounded in reality, not in the equivalent of a Harlequin romance.

         If you're serious about growing your business, find ways to show up and serve as you really are. For tips on how to do this (because, after all, there is a difference between what is appropriate in business and friendship), read 5 Things Customers Want and How to Deliver Them.

         5 THINGS CUSTOMERS WANT

         1. To know what you can do to make their life better.
         2. To be able to find out what it takes to be served by you and do business with you without jumping through lots of hoops.
         3. To know you are a good fit.
         4. To take a test drive without fearing the hard sell.
         5. To compensate you for what they get so they needn't feel obliged and they feel good about asking for more.
         HOW TO DELIVER THEM, OR WHAT MAKES GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE?
         1. Be up front, even bold, in stating how your goods or services make things better for them so that they can make a decision about whether to ask for more information. This respects their time and attention by answ
            Symptoms of Fraud
            Fraud Symptom Categories1. Internal Control Problems - material weakness The first thing to remember when looking at internal controls is the fraud triangle. Without all three elements of opportunity, pressure and rationalization it is less likely that fraud will occur. By creating controls that prevent these elements or detect them in a timely manner after occurance managers can effectively monitor compliance.Specific internal control issues stem from the organizations structure. Examples of symptoms of control deficiencies include a lack of the following: segregation of duties, independent verification, proper authori
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            1. To know what you can do to make their life better.
            2. To be able to find out what it takes to be served by you and do business with you without jumping through lots of hoops.
            3. To know you are a good fit.
            4. To take a test drive without fearing the hard sell.
            5. To compensate you for what they get so they needn't feel obliged and they feel good about asking for more.
            HOW TO DELIVER THEM, OR WHAT MAKES GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE?
            1. Be up front, even bold, in stating how your goods or services make things better for them so that they can make a decision about whether to ask for more information. This respects their time and attention by answering the question, "What can you do for me?"
            2. Understand what it takes for you to deliver consistent value. How much time? How much money? How much energy? What kind of commitment? What support? What resources? What else?

               When you know what you need in order to build good customer service -- come through for your customers, set your prices, policies, and procedures accordingly and make it easy for your customers to understand them.

            3. Show up in your business. Use language, imagery, colors that are consistent with the way you are in your work. Are you a funny, organized, motherly midwife? Or a charming, blunt career coach? It's almost certain that lots of people do what you do and do it as well or better. However, it is highly unlikely that anyone else does it quite like you do. Make it easy for people to tell how well you're likely to fit.
            4. Offer a test drive. If you sell products, give samples. If you sell services, give samples. What does that look like? An eight-page special report, a newsletter, reprints of articles, audio of speeches or seminars. Keep your eyes and ears and mind open, and your samples may add up to a product and a new income stream.
            5. Make it easy for people to pay you for your work. When your just-right customer pays for something they want from you, they are making a conscious commitment to getting their money's worth. This makes it a lot more likely that they will do what it takes to benefit from what you offer.
            What could be your first step to build a better customer service for your business? Or, are you thinking something like this? "I get your point, but my self-esteem is in the way? Do I have to give up having a business?" The short answer is no. You may think of hiring a business coach to help you to build the bridge to your customer you both can cross.