(note, this post could also be titled “Dining Hall Ethics 101″)

Every successful entrepreneur, marketer, or freelancer understands the value of consumer confidence. You want people to like your brand. You want others to trust you. The end goal of trust and genuine appreciation isn’t just the warm-fuzzies but positive referrals and repeat business. As much as the internet and constant connectivity have changed our lives, this maxim still sparkles: a job well done is the only job worth doing.

If this principle is so basic then why isn’t it always adhered to? How can trust be lost and what does a “lame job” like flipping burgers or staffing the campus dining hall have to do with running a successful online business?

In my experience, the people who fail to follow the above rule consistently are those who think too much of their own position and talents. They haven’t had enough exposure to the real world of work. My high school and college “resume” wouldn’t have impressed any CEOs but I know that it prepared me for a field where customer service (and by extension, customer trust) is vital. While my dad was between jobs I helped him with the grueling task of delivering weekend editions of the Star Tribune. Now there’s a job where you learn not to complain! Complaining means a slow-down and that means less money made per hour and papers delivered too late (many of the customers on our route would be at their doors waiting for their paper to arrive before 5am!). My father and I not only had to cooperate and trust each other, but we had to maintain the trust of our longstanding customers by making sure we followed their preferences and not our own (put it into the screen door, leave it on the edge of the driveway, watch out for Fluffy, etc).

Another “lame job” I could proudly point to on my resume is my time at University Dining Services (UDS, for those in the know). If you were to ask any student employee of UDS about the value of their experience most would look at you with a blank stare. UDS pays relatively well but the job description is far from glorious: here’s your meat-carving station for this day/week/month, keep it clean, put on a happy face, show up on time, oh and make sure you do a bunch of menial tasks before you check out (mop the floor, cart off heavy items, scrub the sink). The UDS reward system consists mainly of being able to choose more flexible hours and locations than the slackers who site around while you (the hard-working employee) rush from task to task, always cleaning up someone else’s mess and frequently staying late. In my experience that job was mostly thankless and mostly unfulfilling. Despite all of that negativity, however, UDS taught me the value of having a great job. I now appreciate having a job where I’m not required to stand for four hours in a row, keep my hands soaked in detergent, or juggle loads of trash and cutlery. UDS also instilled in me the value of pleasing the customer. Even at the furthest rung of the college food chain I was expected to show courtesy, to be prompt and amenable, and to strive my best to answer questions.

The setting of an online business or website may be different, but the fundamental rules are no different than those that apply to a paper-boy or a dining hall dish-washer: treat the customer with respect, take initiative, and above all, do the job right the first time!