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No matter what size your company is, chances are, you have felt the recession in one way or another. Consumer confidence is low, spending is weak, and there is no shortage of bad news being reported by the media. Although history has shown that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, it seems as though there is no end in sight. Your goal, as a business owner, is to remain profitable now and be ahead of the pack when the economy turns the corner.

Do you ever wish you could clone your favorite client? You know the one that I mean…the one who allows enough time for their projects… who understands that the laws of physics don’t make exceptions... who pays their bills on time and in full… who says “please” and “thank you”…

Although we can’t replicate our favorite clients, we can do a better job of finding more of these sweet-spot customers.

Have you ever a googled “customer service, recession”? If so, you know that there’s an old-fashioned truism which is getting more airtime these days…one which can have a measurable effect on your bottom line, profitability, and longevity.

What is this winning adage? Customer service matters.

Assuming you haven’t been living in a biodome for the past two years with no access to the outside world, you know that the world’s economy is going through a rough patch. Okay, maybe “rough patch” is a bit too mild…maybe it’s more like a soccer field covered in steel wool, but you know what I mean.

In fact, you probably know people who have been laid off, downsized or transitioned in some way. And of those who are still working, many are now doing jobs for two or three people (with no increase in pay) due to the aforementioned layoffs, downsizing, etc.

In a perfect world, businesses grow in a smooth, upward trajectory that is both predictable and deliberate. There are no slow times...no staff upheavals...no sleepless nights...

Clearly, I'm living in the wrong place.

In my world, business grows the same way that Elaine Benes (from Seinfeld) dances: everything looks perfectly normal, but then the music starts and suddenly we're witnessing a herky-jerky motion with very little rhyme and sometimes no reason. Sooner or later, someone's going to lose an eye.