Business

Why Great Customer Service Commands Premium Salaries

Premium rates aren't just about better work—they're about saving clients from anxiety, uncertainty, and the mental load of managing you.

Aleksandr Kosenko

22 Dec 2025 — 4 min read

1. The creative services market is built in layers

Bottom layer: "cheap and fast"

Rock-bottom expectations.
Contractors are easily replaceable.
Too many projects for too little money.
No time or bandwidth for decent service.

Top layer: "premium and reliable"

Complex, high-stakes projects.
Clients who care more about not losing millions than "saving a thousand."
Rates 10–30x higher than marketplace prices.

Clients choose the top layer not just for product quality, but for customer service.

Clients will pay more for someone who:

picks up the phone and responds on time;
flags problems honestly and early;
helps shape the brief;
guides them through the project step by step;
doesn't vanish when things get critical.

People like this are rare—which is exactly why "above-market" fees exist.

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