For prospective customers, and even an Internet attorney, there are few things as annoying online as Internet marketers who believe that one or two successful product launches entitles them to mistreat everyone around them as lesser individuals.

Let me give you an example. Let’s call him Big Ego.

Big Ego purchased Website Legal Forms Generator software from one of my companies. He could afford to pay for an Internet lawyer to draft customized legal documents but decided to go for the inexpensive alternative instead. Not my call. Wouldn’t want him as a client (keep reading – you’ll understand why).

The first thing that Big Ego did was complain about the software and how much better it would be if he had developed it.

To be sure, Big Ego has developed software. However, Big Ego is not an Internet attorney. Also note that the software is the #1 of its kind on the Internet and has a refund request rate of less than one percent.

Big Ego didn’t stop there. He kept sending lengthy e-mails to customer support and to me about how wonderful he was and how he would do things differently. Attempts to be nice simply resulted in more e-mails from Big Ego that soon took on an abusive tone. Why? Because we refused to re-develop our software in an entirely different platform based on his “expert” advice.

The abuse of customer support was only toned down after it was pointed out that one of the people Big Ego was being mean to happened to be my wife.

Sadly, Big Ego isn’t unique.

I’ve been to Internet marketing events where “legends in their own minds” wouldn’t even speak with someone unless they knew that person was important. As an Internet attorney, I’ve laughed to see this include 1-hit wonders who snubbed decamillionaires and even a billionaire on the mistaken assumption that low-key meant unimportant.

When you consider how word-of-mouth works, imagine what it costs the Big Egos of the world in their businesses and reputations to mistreat the “little people.”

Think about this the next time you deal with someone’s customer support or meet someone new at a marketing event. Those unknown to you have the ability to make or break your business. Be nice. It will serve you well and it is the right thing to do. And you don’t need an Internet attorney to tell you what’s the right thing to do when extending common courtesy to others.