How do you treat the people with whom you do business? Many times what we forget in this online world where so much of our customer service is automated is that, in the end, we're still doing business with other people. Do your customer service procedures create raving fans or send people away into the Internet black hole, never to be heard from again, except when you're bashed on some blog or disparaged in a discussion forum post?

What's the real price you pay as an online business owner for your customer service? Usually, the "real price" boils down to one thing -- word-of-mouth-marketing. If your customer likes the way you handle a situation, he will probably tell tell 3-5 others. However, if he feels he was treated poorly or unfairly, he'll tell 50 of his closest friends about the bad experience. Sad to say, we human beings love to complain much more than to praise. Why burn bridges with your customer when you don't have to?

Online business owners often create customer service rules that are based on fear -- fear of being taken advantage of, fear of someone getting the best of you, fear of someone not paying you for your time What happens if the entire basis of your customer service standards is fear? Well, then fear-based outcomes is what you'll get, because you tend to get what you choose to focus on. So, if you perceive that everyone in the world is out to get you and take advantage of you, then you're right.

Is there a good middle ground to choose that protects both your interests and gives your customer a great experience? There is, and you'll find it in my simple, 10-second philosophy of customer service. Ready? Here it goes.....treat your customer how you want to be treated. That's it -- nothing high tech here.

To help you evaluate your online customer service for my Golden Rule philosophy, here are 7 standards you should consider:

1. Don't hide behind the legalese. Don't expect your customer to page through a multi-page, small print document and read and understand all of your stipulations, especially if they're written in legalese rather than simpler English. If you put unfavorable or difficult terms in your Terms of Service agreement and your customer signs it, sure, you have legal protection to back up whatever terms they stipulated to with their signature. But, will the wrangling over those terms be worth it in the end? If you have terms that your customer might not find favorable at a later date, be sure and point those out to him in the beginning. Don't expect him to figure it out on his own, and don't hide behind the cowardly excuse, "Well, you should have read the Terms of Service thoroughly There's nothing I can do."

2. Walk a mile in your customer's shoes. Would you want to be treated the way you're treating them? If what you're doing to your customers makes you queasy and uneasy, that's your instinct telling you that what you're doing isn't just and proper. Moreover, how would you feel if you were treated in this fashion?

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