Customer Service: Work'n Hard to Make a Live'n, Where I come from

Where I come frommmm, there's corn bread and chicken--- where I come froommmm. 

Sweet Alan Jackson making cornbread and chicken sound even more amazing than it already is. 

Do you southern gals remember the greatness of that song?! I remember line dancing to it in middle school--- at the skating rink! Go watch his youtube video just for inspiration, flashbacks, and giggles. 

Every time I post a picture on Instagram or finish a Photography session with a client I always find myself humming that song. Especially the part about "Work'n hard to make a live'n". Love it. 

Do you ever find it hard to love your client's well? To serve them or care for them even when they have a million seemingly ridiculous Photography expectations or unrealistic design fixes they need you to make?

I know I have felt my fair share of frustrations in the past. But I really believe those frustrations have lessened over time because 1) I've improved setting expectations with clients and overly communicating with them every little detail of how our interactions will go down, and 2) I've placed more value on their experience than my own. 

I love my clients. And I love working hard for them. Going the extra mile to make their design all that they dreamed up is what I'm about. I tell my Jamboree Clients to give me all the critical and minute feedback they can muster so we can make their dream logo or photography session exactly how they imagined it. 

Over the past few years, I've been about cultivating a cliental that comes back for all their design or photography needs--- because that's the kind of successful customer service I've learned the past 7 years in other fantastic organizations and institutions. 

The first job I ever had, found sweet little 18 year old me, operating roller coasters and cleaning up puke as a janitor at a Theme Park. 

I know, DREAMMYYY. 

I wasn't perfect at customer service then. I was frustrated by vacationers' negative attitudes and didn't know how to handle their complaints without responding somewhat apathetically and passively. I didn't fully understand what it was to positively and joyfully represent the company I worked for. But that company (Herschend Family Entertainment) had a phrase that has stuck with my customer service values ever since I worked there: I should be "Making Memories Worth Repeating" for my customer. 

I didn't love being a janitor then. It was a humbling job that taught me a lot about hard work and inner-motivation (and how to clean a bathroom SPARKLING CLEAN). I really loved being an RA and a Hall Director/Supervisor, but I didn't always love every situation I found myself in. But at the end of the day, I learned it really wasn't about me--- it was about my customer having as positive and fair of an experience as I could give them. And by the way, that DOES mean saying no to them at times. Trying everything in your power to say yes, but being willing to say no isn't always a bad thing. 

What makes my customer service stand out now, as an Entrepreneur, isn't my skill set or creativity, it's my ability to relate to and cheer on my customers. 

I'm relatable because I'm learning this business cray-cray-ness too and it can be a really challenging journey at times. But I get to be a cheerleader for all these awesome Ladypreneurs/Girl Bosses I design for or take pictures of. I always tells them that I wish I could sit down with them and grab a latte and hear all about their business, what they're learning, and how that work/life balance is going. I do my best to tell them what they're doing matters. 

So, because I love my clients, I HAVE been working hard for them and I thought I'd share with you some of the custom designs I've been working on for clients behind the scenes. It's been logos and invites for the win this past month! The heart wreath was originally an invite I made for a friend (she's one of those customers that keeps coming back for all her design needs), but she told me I could sell it as a print because LOOK AT IT. It's such a perfect V-day Print! 

Are you still trying to figure out where you stand with your clients? Do you ever find yourself frustrated with them? I'd love to know ways you handle your cliental and how you relate and connect with them! 

Stacie

P.S. If you're interested in my custom logos, invitations, or pre-designed logos&invites, hit up my Etsy Shop for all the goodies.