I've always been one to give compliments when they were due. So, after receiving repeatedly good service at this location, I decided I'd sing staff's praises. I asked to see manager. Fred came over and offered to help me.

I told him how pleased I was with service, and that - from my experience - not all Taco Bell's were created equal. (I had gotten some pretty rotten service at other restaurants.) Fred just smiled and said, "Well, I'm not only manager, but I own all Taco Bell's in city. I bet I can tell you which stores left you unhappy."

I was surprised. I named one location that I'd visited recently and Fred interrupted with, "The manager is not personable and doesn't treat employees well. I've been trying to find a replacement but have had no luck so far."

I named another store to which Fred replied, "That area is full of rich kids who are undependable and don't have any work ethic."

For each location I named, Fred began to tell me how good (or not so good) employees were. Never once did he say, "They can't make a taco to save their lives!" In fact, there was no mention of food at all. He didn't say, "They pre-make their burritos and let them sit" or "I've told them a hundred times they need to put more cheese on that." It all revolved around people.

Before I started my online business, I was just on one side... customer. I whole-heartedly believed in above adage and never questioned it at all. In fact, I would get rather perturbed at ANY business owner, manager, or supervisor that would disagree with any complaint I had.

When I started my own online business back in 1997, I slowly began to learn "other side."

My business products are all downloadable. If your business includes downloaded material, you know where I'm going with this one. I get NUMEROUS complaints EVERYDAY about usernames and passwords not working, corrupt downloads, and big one... "I can't open download." Now I always reply in a very helpful gesture, but my first question is always, "Are you entering username and password exactly as shown?" This seems to be one of "biggies" with newbies. They do not understand "case-sensitive" -- heck -- they don't even know what that means!

But it doesn't matter HOW simple I make instructions and overall download process, I STILL get these everyday. I am accused of being a "scammer" at least 4 - 5 times a week... and that's on a GOOD week! :o)

The whole point of above example is NOT that customers are wrong -- that's not problem at all. Many of them are very new to internet and sadly, they do not read through directions most of time. I have found that I basically have to put myself back into "newbie" frame of mind -- as hard as that is to do! I don't remember NOT knowing how to download, enter case-sensitive passwords, etc.