Member-only story
Don’t Focus on Customer Service
Spend time on creating boundaries and expectations for clients instead
The phrase the “customer is always right” was coined by a London department store magnate in 1909.
Ever since that time, this phrase has haunted everyone and anyone who has had to deal with the public.
The entire modern concept of customer service is built around this phrase. The point of customer service is to make customers happy after something has gone wrong — at all costs.
Customer service is for suckers.
It’s a horrible business strategy for professional service providers.
Customer service is a problem because it’s reactive, reductive, and recursive.
Why Customer Service Fails for Service Providers
Service providers are not selling a fungible good. You cannot exchange an unwanted delivery for something else on one of the shelves. Each act of service is a custom job. Service providers are selling their expertise and experience — even if you are also delivering some kind of work product like a logo or an article.
Customer service waits until there is a problem to swing into action. It is all about reacting to the feelings of the client…
