Saturday, January 5, 2008, 12:06pm
Always Provide Premium Customer Service
Yesterday I received a cable bill from Time Warner for service I canceled almost 2 years old when I graduated from college. Somehow I was being charged a $36 “service adjustment” on top of a $19 credit, for a final balance of around $20. First of all, why am I getting this bill now, after canceling the service in May 2006? Second, if I had a credit of $19 on my account way back then, why wasn’t I informed earlier?
I figured I’d bring this up because it’s a perfect example of poor customer service. So maybe a large company like Time Warner can get away with this type of thing, but as a freelancer you must be willing to maintain an open line of communication while on a project and offer premium customer service throughout. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to start off on the right foot. It is critical that you be upfront and honest about all aspects of the project from the beginning - you’ll set realistic expectations and avoid most headaches.
Picture by striatic.
