This is a guest post by Lindsay Stordahl. Lindsay is the author of That Mutt a Dog Blog and the owner of Run That Mutt a dog running service out of Fargo, ND. She also happens to be my girlfriend. I hope you enjoy.

I work with dogs almost every day, and I see several others in passing. It’s so common for dogs to be out of control that most people expect dogs to bark, jump, pull and never sit still. I really notice when a dog is calm, responsive and under control. I’m trying to make a point to compliment these dog owners on their dogs because they are rare. And trust me, these dogs aren’t naturally well behaved, their owners have worked with them. I can tell a lot about a person by looking at his or her dog.

But along with “rude” dogs, lately I’ve noticed the same with people. I’m talking about professionals who work in customer service and do not deal well with people. I wish I had kept track of all the managers, bankers, customer service representatives and receptionists who were impolite, impatient and uninterested in me as a customer in the last two weeks. I don’t see why it’s so hard to be polite to an average customer. After all, I am probably paying them for their service.

I realize the majority of people hate their jobs nowadays, but you’d think employers would set higher standards for their employees and really be on top of how the customers are treated. After all, nothing sells a product or service better than word of mouth from satisfied clients. Treating customers and potential customers well is probably still the best marketing tool out there.

It’s so rare to deal with a customer service representative who genuinely cares about me that when it does happen, I really remember that person and their business. I’ve been making a point to genuinely thank them and of course continue using what they have to offer.

I try to show appreciation for readers of my blog by offering the best information I can, visiting and commenting on all of their blogs, giving opportunities for feedback and giving away free stuff. I know I could do more.

If you are a blogger, think about what it feels like when you contribute genuinely decent comments to someone’s post and then you never hear from him or her. That person didn’t even bother to acknowledge your comment. Are you going to visit that blog again? Maybe, but you might think twice before leaving another comment. What about the blogger who does acknowledge your comment?

Remember to keep your customers in mind. After all, where would you be without them? Have you had a recent bad expierence with someone in customer relations? Have you gone out of your way to make someone known lately?

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