Advertising budget (who's responsible?)

[Steve Ganz]

In response to the problem with the falling music desk, the issue of 
whose fault, and the happy ending; this is why pleasing the customer in 
every case I call my advertising budget.  I don't put out any money for 
normal advertising except the free(?) listing in the phone book.  Yet 
through the years I have lost "money" on jobs from time to time in order 
to please a customer who was in all probability 'trying to take 
advantage of me'.  Yet by doing so, willingly, I have found that my 
reputation has steadily grown and now I have all the work I can do or 
want.  Now obviuosly I still have to do the best work I can, and 
adverising isn't everything.  Yet by pleasing the customer every time I 
have developed a confidence that I can please the customers.  This is a 
great help in selling the work, this confidence.  Now my work is 
rebuilding.  I am asking the customer to pay me a lot of money on my say 
so that the will be happy with the product when I am done.  Without 
confidence it is hard to sell this work.  Always pleasing the customers, 
even when I'm 'right' and they are 'wrong' gets around the neighborhood 
and really helps the business.  Just look at the 'loss' as your 
advertising budget.
Steve Ganz