Do you remember the television commercial for Rice Krispies Treats? The family waited impatiently all day in the living room for the mother to finish the "complicated" tasks of making the tasty dessert treats. Meanwhile, the mom is locked in the kitchen relaxing and occasionally banging pots and pans to make it appear to her waiting family that she was hard at work.

Finally, she whips up the easy bars of cereal, throws some Flour on her face and triumphantly presents the treats to her family.

Value perceived: priceless!

Now equate that to the products and services we supply our customer.

As a writer, I supply words for my customers. Sometimes my words are in the form of something simple like a press release, other times more complex projects such as web content.

It recently came to my attention that the fact that I turn around projects quickly decreases the perceived value.

My philosophy is that if a customer calls with a project, they have a need for that project. If my schedule will allow, I will turn around the project within the week, often times within a day.

Does that mean my product is less valuable than the person who, similar to the mom making treats, completes the project but then sits on it an extra week or two before sending to the customer? Or conversely, takes an attitude that "I'll get around to it when I'm good and ready even if I know it will only take a couple hours."

Who is working with the customer's best interests at heart? The person sitting on the project or the person who gets busy? Whose work ethic has more value?