IABC Indy is a nonprofit dedicated to the professional development of our members. We welcome all communicators --  including writers, designers, marketers, and consultants. [Member Post] Customer Service IS Marketing: Three Rules to Remember A special guest post from IABC member Renee Scott, a senior communications analyst with Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company I still remember my first day on the job in the marketing department. I was surprised that customer service was part of our group. "They've got it all wrong," I thought. "Marketing creates interest, sales closes the deal, and then customer service kicks in." That mindset was misguided then. It is flat-out wrong now. Media-savvy customers can create a website for the sole purpose of trashing your company. The rest of them can blog, tweet, Facebook, pin it, Instagram it, and whatever else has popped up since I started typing. We've all heard the adage that it's cheaper to keep a customer than find one. These days it's not about just keeping them but preserving the chance to be introduced to the 42,000 people they are connected to...and not have them think, "Ew! I remember you." My first rule isn't even a rule really. More like a marketing truth. Customer service is marketing . You wouldn't take out an ad that says, "We don't care about you." But that is exactly what you're doing if you consistently provide poor customer service. The rules below are born of my experience as a customer. The service was memorable -- one