A strong, successful brand recognizes that a product is useless without interested and loyal customers to support it. Customers are the vital element to creating a successful business.

There was once a customer in a retail store who, upon entering one of the checkout lines, heard a general announcement, "Please remove your clothes from the hangers and put them on the racks." The customer saw the rack full of plastic hangers flanking the line. She struggled to remove her selections from the hangers and put the hangers on the rack--all while customers in front of her were being herded like cattle through the cash registers. Cashiers were calling for the next customer in line before their current customer even had their receipt in-hand. When it was her turn, like the others, she received the same rush-job "customer service," and was even told to remove her receipt from the register tape on her way out. She left the store baffled and feeling like she wouldn't be returning again, despite the store's overall good prices.

The moral of this story is to love your customers, and to not skimp on providing satisfactory customer service and support-both in-store and online-or you could lose valuable, loyal customers. Customers are vital to a business' success, and according to Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, you should "Treat your customers like they own you. Because they do." Customers are precious, and it's important to go the extra mile to make them feel appreciated, understood, and comfortable.  

The Loyalty Factor 

Career advice company The Muse reports that customer loyalty can be worth 10 times as much as a single purchase, and going the extra mile and supplying exemplary customer service has many benefits:

• 73% of consumers love a brand because of friendly customer service
   
• 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated
   
• 55% of consumers would pay more money for a better customer experience
   
• 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service
   
• 3 out of 4 customers say they have spent more with a company because of a history of positive experiences

Attention to Retention   

In an act commonly known as showrooming, customers will visit a store to check the pricing and ask questions, then leave and purchase the product from an online retailer at a cheaper price. In this scenario, good customer service could be the missing link to an in-store sale.  

The next time a potential customer enters your establishment, or visits your virtual store, remember to provide exemplary customer service to leave a lasting impression that's sure to keep them coming back for more. Remember--service sells.

Sincerely,