How do you act when you do business

This is a really fresh example that I experienced on my own skin. Since I do really LOVE to play with xHTML/CSS codes (or better, I enjoy) i started a xHTML Coding services business.

During these 16 days that the business has been online I have been pretty busy. Work has never missed and I have almost never had a free day without a coding project working on. And during this period I got reminded why I wasn’t doing coding for money for a while (even tho I was active on IRC help channels). The fact that people don’t have the knowledge over the language but yet they pretend the impossible (which is not the worst case), the worst is when clients require a total change of their layout structure when you have already reached to code 70% of the layout (since my nerves are still fresh I try to accomplish some and to others I kindly explain that should of have explained those parts during the pre-coding interview) made me quit coding for money.

Anyway, on the latest project I worked for Nelson of Help Desk Geek I had a great pleasure during the whole process of design and coding. The fact is that Nelson was very gentle and tried to accommodate me (even tho I was supposed to accommodate him and do what he requires). During the interview he told me that he might need some help setting up the layout and modifying the plugins (usually this is not included in the services I offer), but since he was kind enough as person I told him not to worry and that I would handle that.

Ok guess what? Being gentle repays in a Win Win situation, he was gentle with me and I agreed to make all the plugin modifications if needed, I was gentle and agreed guess what he did? He tipped me 😛 honestly I was feeling like ehh.. weird I’d say since i never received tips on the net, usually deal was set and that was it.

After the project was completed and theme was delivered (still fixing some small bugs) we kept chatting with Nelson (about his theme, modifying stuff etc) guess, that crazy geek came out with a new one, no not a new project he came out with a new tip of 30% of the cost of the entire project.

All these behavior is not really common between web developers, usually when a web developer wants to say thanks he links to your site. But receiving a real tip (2 times, which brings the tips of a total of 33,33% of the entire project) is something out of the normal and really made me feel good (not for the money as much as for the sign of how much he appreciated my work).

The moral, even tho your customer is not of sympathy to you, act always polite and be kind, be there when he needs you, explain him certain points of the business on time and make sure he remains satisfied. If you won’t be tipped be sure that whenever that customer will need to run another project he will remember that you have been professional, kind and clean in working for him and he will come back and hire you again.

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