Are you friends with your client, or customer?
By ksherrie
@ksherrie (891)
Singapore
April 10, 2012 4:23am CST
So are you? How do you become friends?
I mean, I have a problem with being friends with my clients? How far personal can you go when you are at work?
I know there are signs to see, but how I know which one to look out for? I mean, I get along well with my clients, but I can't go to the extent of becoming even closer friends... I guess to be there is always a barrier that divides me and my client.
So what about you? Are you like one of my friends, where she is so close to one off her clients that they go on karaoke sessions or dinner regularly?
2 people like this
6 responses
@Anne18 (11029)
•
10 Apr 12
I am friends with most of my clients, its a bit hard not ot be friends with them as they are eldery and are always in the house when I clean for them, I also have to have a cuppa tea with them as well. Would be most rude not to. Although I am friendly I don't get too friendly as that can sometimes cause problems
@ksherrie (891)
• Singapore
17 Apr 12
Wow! House cleaner is a tough job! All those cleaning...
Do some of your clients stare at you while you work? Won't it be kinda stressful?
I like listening to elderly who are not angry at things... They always have very good experiences and stories to share...
@lookatme_888567me (72)
• Philippines
11 Apr 12
Hello, all you have to do just please smile to them I am sure that will give them very Good Impression about you, Then during your vacant time maybe you can ask them for lunch or snack and get to know the person very well to be friend with so with in that process you know who to be friend with and hang out sometimes, :):):)
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
11 Apr 12
It takes time to enter from one stage to another. Sometimes, it depends on the chemistry between people. At the same time, they might be taking advantage of each other to achieve their purpose, so u never know ^^ Work should never be mixed with personal life and clients should always remain as clients. Unless we change job, changing our ties with them and yet we remain in contact, that's the time i would classify them as friends.
When they are clients to us, we try to please them. BUt how many of us do actually try to please our friends with no agenda in mind? haha 
So when your friend is close to her client, what does she really want? haha
So when your friend is close to her client, what does she really want? haha 
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
1 Jul 12
I think you need to keep some distance with clients, especially with something as subjective as writing. There are no 'right' or 'wrong' articles to put forward, and if you are too close to the client, they may ask for changes that they would never even consider if there was just a business relationship between you.
I always try to be friendly, but not friends. For example, I try not to be too formal in emails, and I occasionally mention something personal that's maybe relevant to the project I'm working on, although I don't go into too much detail. That helps to establish a closer working relationship, without crossing the line into friendship.
@polaroidsredwine (509)
• United States
11 Apr 12
Nah, I don't think I could ever become good friends with them. It's nice to have some idle chat about our lives to one another, but I'd rather not delve into the friend-business territory because I can cause some problems. I guess I'm more on the lines of good acquaintances with them.
@savagecabbage (1216)
• Philippines
13 Jul 12
Hi. Yes my clients are usually my friends. You want to have a good impression on them and you have to be nice to them since they will be supporting and buying from you. So, I have to put my best foot forward and talk to them like a friend. Talks and lunches are occasionally planned by my clients. Sometimes we mingle even outside of work but we do not go to karaoke sessions. But I still consider them as my friends! happy mylotting.
