Have you ever been involved in a business transaction online that didn’t work out to your expectations?

Maybe the seller never delivered your product.

Maybe it came late.

Or broken.

Maybe you ordered a piece of software and it didn’t work properly.

I think we all have had a “less-than-perfect” online shopping experience at some point in our lives. Despite the difference in setup, the same problems that plague brick-and-mortar businesses impact online business today.

A major difference however is that when someone goes wrong in a live business we have the ability to walk into it and start discussing the issue with the staff. It’s not as easy when doing business online.

The dynamic of online business actually reminds me of the way people get when they drive their cars. Suddenly, the other cars on the road are no longer people, but just “machines”. We get mad when “that car” cuts us off, is driving too slow, or honks its horn at us. It is easy to forget that there is a person in the car who is really no different than us.

If you have dreams of selling something online (such as an online course), then this is a good thing to keep in mind as you work with customers. Sometimes situations will become challenging, but remember that you are working with a person and not an email address.

You will come across a lot of different people and personalities during your online entrepreneurial journey, and you will never be wrong for showing respect.

This doesn’t mean that you have to agree with everything that is being said, and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to put up with personal insults. Treating people with respect simply means treating them the same way you would if they were across the counter from you.