step 11: focus on customer service
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step 11: focus on customer service •
customer service is one of the most powerful parts of running an art business.
The way people feel when they interact with you, before, during, and after a purchase, has a huge impact on whether they come back, recommend you to friends, or move on. In this lesson, we’ll talk about how thoughtful, human-centered customer service can become one of your strongest forms of marketing.
let’s dig deeper.
Now that you’ve seen how customer service fits into the bigger picture of your business, it’s time to think about how you want people to feel at every touchpoint. The lessons below will help you learn how to treat your customers with respect and make them feel cared for.
be re-mark-able
This was a mantra that I learned at one of my first Marketing internships. Word-of mouth is the most effective form of Marketing. Think about it—how much weight does a recommendation from a friend have over passively viewing an ad in a commercial or magazine? If a friend is raving about a product, I’m very likely to purchase.
So how can you get people to talk about you? The first way could be the quality of your product. The amazing thing about art is that it’s displayed and essentially advertises itself. I’ve had many customers purchase art from me who saw one of my prints in their friend’s home. So make sure to not cut any corners. Invest in quality paper. Make sure your prints look nearly indistinguishable from the original. You only have one first impression, so make sure to make it a good one.
The second way is your customer service. How you interact with your customers. When that same person sees your art in their friend’s home, what are they saying about you?
You want it to be something memorable, such as:
“We met her at an event and she spent 30 minutes with our kid who aspires to be an artist.”
“She took the time to show us her process.”
“I love following her on instagram, I feel like we’re friends.”
She told us the meaning behind the painting and it made me feel more connected to it.”
“She’s local and and an active contributor to our community.”
I think this customer service part matters even more than the quality of the product. What makes someone want to buy your art over someone else’s? Honestly, most of the time it isn’t even about how “good” your art is (which is all subjective anyway). More often than not, it’s a connection to your story and/or a reaction to how well you’ve treated someone.
surprise and delight
This is another concept that I learned from my first job. How can you surprise your customer in a positive way? You want your work, your packaging, your communication—every little step of the process to go above and beyond. I often hear things like: “wow, it’s even more beautiful in person!”, or “I wasn’t expecting a personal response!” Which is exactly what we’re going for.
Now let’s talk about delight. You delight your customers in connective moments that are personal and human. When a customer feels seen, respected, and appreciated, the experience becomes memorable.
Some ways you can delight a customer
Remember a repeat customer’s name.
If a kid comes into your studio, give them a sticker or greeting card for free.
At in-person events, spend time with people talking about your process.
Let people send you photos of your space and make recommendations about what size to order and how to hang it.
Have clearly stated policies but don’t be afraid to break them from time-to-time. For example if you have a no returns policy but someone accidentally orders the wrong size, consider letting them return it anyway.
Send a personalized thank you email after every purchase.
If someone is on the fence about a big purchase, consider letting them borrow it to try it out in their space (in my experience, they usually end up buying it).
There are a million ways to do this. Just think about how you can make someone’s experience feel special.
customer service as a brand strategy.
Customer service is one of the clearest expressions of your brand. The way you respond to emails, package orders, handle delays, or address mistakes tells customers what kind of business you run. When your service aligns with the values you communicate elsewhere (on social media, in emails, etc.), your brand feels cohesive and trustworthy. If you’ve built a reputation of being kind and generous on social media, you better be kind and generous in your interactions with your customers.
Also, think of mistakes as an opportunity to show your customer who you are. I recently had an instance where a customer contacted me about their puzzle missing some pieces. While I initially worried that this would be a poor reflection of my brand, I realized that my willingness to solve the problem mattered more. I offered a refund or a new puzzle, and the customer was delighted by my generosity instead of disappointed in my product.
scripts to save time.
It’s important to create boundaries to help protect you from burn out. I’d recommend deciding ahead of time where you’re willing to bend and where you need to hold firm. It’s totally okay to only reply to emails during business hours, take weekends off, or not feel like you have to say yes to every ask. Having a few pre-written responses can dramatically reduce the stress of common customer interactions. Scripts can help you respond consistently and stick to your boundaries.
Helpful scripts to have on hand
Shipping delay responses
Damaged item responses
Donation request responses (I get these all the time)
Make sure to personalize them to add that human touch, but starting from a base will save you time and energy.
Some examples of email templates
Thank you email
Hi [customer name],
I just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you for supporting my work. It truly means more than I can express. Your order is officially in, and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s complete.
I’ll send another update once it ships, but in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all.
So grateful you chose to give this piece a home.
Warmly,
[your name]
Order delay email
Hi [customer name],
I wanted to reach out personally to give you a quick update on your order. It’s taking a little longer than expected to get out the door, and I really appreciate your patience.
I’m keeping a close eye on it and will let you know as soon as it ships. Thank you so much for your understanding—I’m grateful for your support.
Warmly,
[your name]
Damaged item email
Hi [customer name],
I’m so sorry to hear that your order arrived damaged—thank you for letting me know. That’s not the experience I want for you, and I’d love to make it right.
I can either send a replacement or issue a refund. Just let me know what you prefer and I’ll take care of the rest.
Thank you again for your support and for your grace in reaching out.
Warmly,
[your name]
handling difficult interactions
Every business encounters the occasional difficult interaction. When that happens, pause before responding out of emotion and remember, this isn’t about you as a person. Think about these instances as an opportunity to make things right with the customer and improve in the future.
A helpful mindset shift
Respond to the issue, not the tone
Stay professional, even if the message isn’t
Focus on resolution, not defensiveness
Calm, respectful responses de-escalate situations faster than explanations or justifications. The customer may not always be right, but in most cases, it’s probably best to treat them like they are.
treat people how you want to be treated
A good rule of thumb in business is to treat your customers the way you’d want to be treated. Think about how you feel when you’re buying something. If you’re anything like me, you want clarity, kindness, honesty, and to feel respected. You don’t want to feel rushed, misled, or written off as a sales number instead of a real person. When you communicate clearly, follow through on what you promise, and respond with empathy, you create the kind of experience you’d appreciate on the other side of the transaction. This mindset keeps customer service more human, and it helps guide decisions when there isn’t a clear “right” answer. If it would feel good to you as a customer, it’s probably the right move.
create a customer service philosophy.
It may be helpful to write a customer service philosophy to guide your customer service interactions in the future. You can come back to it when you’re unsure how to respond, what to say, or where to draw a boundary.
Start with your values
How do I want people to feel after interacting with my business?
What kind of experiences make me feel cared for as a customer?
What values matter most to me in my work?
Define How You Handle Communication
How quickly do I realistically want to respond?
What tone feels most natural to me? (warm, calm, friendly, professional, casual)
How do I want to handle mistakes or misunderstandings?
Clarify Your Boundaries
I’m happy to be flexible when ____________________.
I need to hold firm boundaries around ____________________.
When something feels unclear, I will ____________________.
Bring it all together and write your customer service philosphy
I believe customer service is about ____________________.
I aim to treat people with ____________________.
When things go wrong, I commit to ____________________.
My goal is for every customer to feel ____________________.
let’s dig into the resources!
Scroll on through for links to all of my favorite resources that relate to customer service. The ✺ icon denotes my favorites! If you find a broken link, or if you know of an awesome resource that I missed, would you let me know?
Education
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Unreasonable Hospitality
by: Will Guidara
A powerful book about creating memorable experiences. -
The Power of Moments
by: Chip & Dan Heath
How small moments create lasting impressions
Automation and Time-Saving Tools
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Zapier ✺
Automate some of those scripts you explored above (thank you emails, shipping delay emails, damaged item emails, etc.). I use Zapier a ton and it’s been so helpful!
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Squarespace / Shopify Email Automations ✺
Built-in tools for order updates and confirmations. You can go in and brand/personalize these to make them feel less generic.
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Text Replacement (Apple or Google Keyboard) ✺
Create shortcuts for frequently typed responses. Linking a how-to for this one!
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Apple Notes App ✺
Sounds simple, but this is where I draft all of my email templates and then just copy and paste as needed.
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Terms Feed
A resource to help you create clear return, shipping, and privacy policies.
Packaging
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Moo ✺
My go-to for business cards. The paper is substantial and quality is awesome. You could also use them to create a care card, thank you note, etc. to include in your packages. I also use Moo’s “circle stickers” on the outside of my packages. The sticker has my logo and a little thank you message
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Vistaprint
Another place where you can order all types of promotional and packaging materials.
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Hero Packaging
A great resource for eco friendly, branded packaging materials like boxes, mailers, bags, and more.