As an author, when you choose POD publishing, you get to make all of the decisions during the publishing process. While this is perfect for authors who like to have all of the control over their finished product, it also means that you may have some questions along the way and need some guidance. A high quality self-publishing company will offer excellent customer service, and that is what every author should expect.
Here are five characteristics to look for when evaluating a company’s customer service:
- Professionalism — How do the company and employees present themselves. Do they communicate professionally (in person or on the phone and via email)?
- Cheerfulness — Have you ever been to a store where it was clear the person helping you wanted to be anywhere BUT there helping you? When a person doesn’t enjoy what they do, it’s obvious (and sad). Attitudes are contagious and good customer service agents know how to spread cheer.
- Knowledge — Do they know the product information? Can they provide you with the information you need? If they can’t answer your question right away, can they find out and get back to you or point you in the right direction?
- Active Listening — It is important that the customer service agent listens to your individual needs. Active listening involves asking the appropriate questions in order to fully understand your requests or concerns. Do you feel like you are being heard?
- Responsiveness — Do they reply to your emails and/or return your calls quickly? It’s not reasonable to expect everyone to have the answer to every question, but if they aren’t able to answer your question right away, are they able to look into it and get back to you in a reasonable amount of time? Do they provide you with frequent updates on the status of your project?
These are the characteristics every author should look for when choosing a self-publishing company.
Best of luck with your self-publishing endeavors, and may all of your customer service experiences exceed your expectations! 🙂
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ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com. |
Self Publishing Advisor 