While reading the always insightful MarketingProfs this morning, I came across an article by Leigh Duncan called "Reasons to Have a Flexible Customer Service Policy" that I throughly enjoyed.  Duncan recounts a customer service experience with three Best Buy employees that she nicknames "Dulleye", "Eyeroller", and the store manager (which really isn't a nickname, I guess).

The message behind Duncan's article is great.  As the title suggests, she talks about the value of flexibility when dealing with customer service issues.  And while the example is from a brick-and-mortar establishment, the exact same principles apply online.  If you run an online business or deal with customers in a digital medium, I highly recommend looking over her article.

But I want to zoom in on one aspect of her story that stuck out to me.  The way the customer service representatives that Duncan dealt with from Best Buy say a lot to me.  The public face of any company or organization is extremely influential in how people see that organization.

The same thing is true, to a greater degree, with the way we deal with people in the online world.

One of the things that I love about the Internet is the degree of interaction that's available.  It's not uncommon to have corporate executives, CEOs, and other influential members of the business world stop by a website or blog.  The same people that you'd never get face time with are actually more accessible online in many cases.  And it's not just "the higher ups" that browse, comment, and interact with the online community.  Company employees, representatives, and other folks that speak for a company talk online.

That's why it's important to keep "the big picture" of your website or business in mind as you interact online.  Because once you say something on the Internet… it's somewhere forever.

Even if you don't directly comment on or mention your website or organization when you say things online, it has an effect on your overall image.  If you're rude on a personal blog, and the connection to your business or website is made, those comments can come back to haunt you later.  And, as Duncan points out in her article, the popularity of blogging, social networking, and video sharing websites like YouTube and MySpace give ordinary citizens a much larger audience to call you out to.

So remember… when you make comments and leave feedback on the Internet, regardless of where or how, make sure you're putting your best face forward at all times.  It's still possible to disagree and show disapproval of situations, articles, or other opinions without damaging your online (and offline) reputation.

Because reputation is especially important on the Internet.  It's very easy to tarnish that reputation.  It's much more difficult to build it back.