Two of my greatest lessons in customer service came from one author, 22 years apart. When I was a little boy, I read Dinotopia Lost by Alan Dean Foster and was so inspired by it that I wrote him a letter. He took the time and wrote back to me with words of encouragement. Thread
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My letter was so clunky and awkward. I think I threw in some pre-teen slang. He was so gracious and kind, and so encouraging. I never forgot that personal letter he sent me. Last year I published my first book. I looked up his email to tell him how he’d inspired me long ago.
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How his stories of Pip and Flinx has opened my mind to new ideas. How Dinotopia Lost has made me yearn to make up stories of my own. How I became an author and I’m writing stories just like he did, to inspire new minds with fantastical new ideas.
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I didn’t expect an email back this time. Why should I? He’s old now, past the days of being a young author scrambling for fans. He’s famous and successful. I just wanted to drop him a letter and hope he’d read it and maybe smile. He wrote back.
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His email came back quickly. He told me how happy he was I was inspired by his books. He thanked me for reading. He took the time to make me feel special all over again after 22 years, like it actually mattered that I enjoyed his books. This huge name, an iconic figure.
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I learned something that day, something that cemented the lesson from 22 years ago. The great creators who last and hold the hearts of fans are the one who treat every fan like someone important. Who give respect and take the time to care. Money isn’t important. People are.
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Alan Dean Foster is a true class act. The kind of gentleman they don’t make anymore. He’s taken time twice now to make a nobody like me feel special just for liking his books. I’m no special case. I’m sure he treats everyone with this same level of care.
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And that’s why I cruise stores for his books still, after 22 years. That’s why I fondly remember times spent enjoying his work. That’s why I’m gonna pass his books on to my kids. A man like that has solid principles, and they shine through in his work. Character matters.
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If there’s one lesson here, it’s this: Act graciously toward every person. Don’t curse and spit and belittle people even if they seem uneducated or obnoxiously awkward. Listen, be kind, encourage, and express gratitude. You never know what kind act will resonate for 22 years.
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