When it comes to being an entrepreneur and using a Mac you come across a number of people that don’t like Mac users. But that is beside the point.
Recently a friend received a Microsoft Publisher document in Publisher’s native file format, not as a PDF. This customer called the business and said, “I can’t read the file you sent, what program did you use?” “I sent you a MS Publisher file, why can’t you read it?”
First, for a business to come across as “why YOU can’t read” what they sent you is the WRONG answer to the question.
The customer started with, “I use a Mac and…,” and before the customer could continue the their statement the business then began to denigrate their customer as being stupid and arrogant for not having Windows and MS Publisher. “Mac users *&@+!^)(~*”
As a customer, how would you respond to such actions?
There is a hugh difference between reducing various communications avenues or channels for customers to contact you to keep your time to respond to customer concerns to a minimum, versus shutting down completely customers contacting you completely. (Having 10 different channels to communicate means you learn 10 different systems and protocols). You don’t have to have 10 different ways of customers to contact you, it is best to have one or two, but to prevent them from contacting and even working with you is bad for business.
So, if you have want customers to work with you, you need to make sure that the one communication avenue our choose is the one most available to your customers. Sending a PDF not only can be read by everyone, but it saves on the environment.
Besides, real print publishers dislike MS Publisher files that are sent to them, so get with the program and use something that your vendors and customers will enjoy, it just might bring you more business.
Like, get a Mac? Hmm?
P.S. Mac has UNIX under the hood and Postscript as it’s native printing language. All printers understand and use it.
