Who's the Boss?

You've read all those glamour articles about how being an entrepreneur means you're the boss. You make your own decisions and you have time flexibility. You can work whenever you want. Basically, it means having the freedom to make everything work the way you want it. You are in control. However, this is not the real case, especially for those who've just launched their business and are new in the game.

I was handcrafting an itinerary for my upcoming clients. They are my first group, and like wow, this is a big boost for starters. I am doing my best to make their whole travel experience ultra-personalized and answer their inquiries 24/7 from start to finish. In this part of the world where cheap mass tourism proliferates, good client service is hard to come by. I try to give my clients what they don't get anywhere else. However, given my misanthropic nature (🤫Ssssshhh), this can be a real challenge for me. One of them asked repeatedly to send him how much the total payment would be, and I've sent, resent, forwarded and even quoted the amount again and again. Talking about patience. In real life, I would snap straight away and say, "I've already sent it to you. Scroll up!" But of course, I didn't, these people are paying premium for me to be patient and hear their needs. Clients have different personalities. They are probably just testing me to be patient. And I don't really have it, I usually just say what's on my mind. Self-control is hard and I'm learning the hard way. I don't know if this kind of suppression would be a bad thing for me in the end. On the other hand, I don't want to lose my first clients and the chance to prove myself in this business. If I get this right, this may be the start of better things.

The client is the real boss here, not me. As soon as they are not satisfied with your product or service, they can just fire anyone. They can fire you by paying someone else. Show an attitude, and you lose business. Here, Trip Advisor is life however subjective and exaggerated some of those opinions are. I lose my livelihood if I get negative reviews. The competition is fierce in the travel industry. It's a dog-eat-dog out there - oligarch-owned resorts, corporate scuba diving centers, foreign-owned travel agencies. I'm at the bottom of the food chain. The least I can do is to make some people's travel experiences extra special and more personal. Not treat them like packaged products. And to offer a hassle-free travel experience with an expert touch and real hospitality.

In my niche, I don't have to guess what the clients want. I should know it straight away through question and answer. I guess this is what makes me stand out from the rest of the tour operators here, I consider their needs and interests. So, I was told that one of the group is celebrating his birthday and he wants one surprise birthday cake at 12 midnight and another one during the tour the next day. Sure, hassle for me but they are paying it, so fine. If I am going to consider what I prefer, I just want to surprise the guy with some birthday song by some band in a bar or some restaurant staff at midnight. The birthday cake would appear the next day. But you know, they have a say in everything. I tried my best not to insist what I want even though it goes against my nature, ha! It's their holiday. It's not me anymore, it's them.

And of course, I have to draw the line if things get too personal, like if some men hit on me. I work on this alone so this is an inevitable part of the business. It can be a problem and I should be prepared. I'm not trying to be an icy princess here but it just happens. They should understand that I am extra nice, polite and helpful because they are my clients (men and women) - and nothing more. That should be clear right off the bat. One should not get the wrong impression.

Anyway, I'm actually happy to provide exceptional service and prove myself in the game. There are many ways to make things better, and also many ways it can go wrong. In life, it's hard to be both positive and realistic at the same time. You don't really hear good entrepreneurs ranting about their customers or not happily providing their services. I think the mindset changes when you are not the employee anymore. You know who's the real boss now.