There has to be a balance between organization and rigidity and flexibility—especially in business. If you have been bending over backwards to please and accommodate customers and clients, and starting to feel resentful or wondering if it is actually a benefit to your home business, you might have to evaluate just how accommodating you want and need to be.
While your own personal working style and comfort-level around accommodating customers will come into play, there are some general guidelines for helping you to choose what you should and shouldn’t do for your customers. For starters, think about the company or business as an entity and ask yourself—“If I say yes, will it hurt the business, me, my family, or anyone else?” If someone else (or the company) is going to be hurt or put out by granting a request, then it is probably a good idea to say “no.” When I use the word “hurt” I am not necessarily meaning that pain will be caused, but if it will cost in terms of money, time, etc. and that will outweigh the benefit of pleasing the customer, then you may want to consider offering a “no” and explaining your decision in a simple, yet firm way.
Then, if a request or accommodation WILL NOT hurt the company or anyone else in any way, you can feel more comfortable about granting it. If you make accommodations when you can, then you will feel more solid when you need to say no. Of course, it seems that there are just those customers who are always asking for accommodations, but if you can set up standards for yourself, you’ll be less likely to be too accommodating, or give away too much, having an adverse affect on the business—or your own peace of mind or credibility.
See Also: Are You Taking Full Advantage of Freedom and Flexibility?
Working With Challenging Customers and Clients