I'm a sucker for stating the obvious, and that headline should rank up there with the finest of my "gee, no kidding" tips. But customer service is one of the more hazy, abstract parts of running a small business, and you need look no further than your own daily encounters in shops, or on the phone, or at restaurants, to know that genuinely good customer service is far rarer than it should be.

Any successful small business has, at its core, two things: a loyal base of regular customers, and employees who know how to keep them that way. Reliable customers mean reliable revenue-- the lifeblood of every business.

Here are are a few simple rules for getting, and keeping, a dependable base of satisfied customers.

Manage expectations.
It starts with one of the fundamental rules of effective marketing-- make sure you aren't making promises your product can't keep. The quickest way to turn off customers is to create false expectations. The quickest way to turn them into regulars is to make a compelling claim, and then fulfill it. That builds trust.

Surprise them.
Ask yourself, what can I do to enrich the experience of doing business with me? Consider the inn owner who greets her arriving guests with a chilled glass of champagne. The business-to-business service provider who send his clients personal thank-you notes. The restaurateur who makes special Mickey Mouse pancakes for the kids (like they do at my favorite breakfast joint). These are the little, special touches that endear people to your business, and that help separate you from the competition in the minds of potential customers. They don't have to cost a lot (work them into the marketing budget), but they can pay of richly.

Incentivise loyalty.
Rewards programs aren't just for airlines anymore. There's hardly a business out there that can't offer a "buy four, get one free" deal. What happens? They buy four and become repeat customers. And you want as many of those as possible. Just make sure you offer them something good. And keep it simple. A rewards program needs to actually be rewarding in order for it to work.

Learn all you can from your loyalists.
Loyal customers are valued for more than just the money they blow. They are your number one source for good customers research. So talk to them. Survey them. Know everything they like and dislike about dealing with you. In most cases, you'll find them eager and willing to talk. Create demographic profiles of where they live and who they are as people. You may well find interesting patterns in the types of people most likely to do business with you. Then focus your marketing on finding more just like them.

Empower your employees.
Customer service begins and ends with the people who deal with your customers. So make sure you've got employees who not only know the deal, but believe in it. Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines said that one of the ways he'd evaluate a potential pilot is by watching how he treated the receptionist. If the pilot was rude to her, odds were pretty strong that he'd be rude to customers, too. Herb wanted good-hearted people, and he empowered them with the authority to make things right for the customers. He encouraged laughter and smiles, which don't cost a penny but (especially in the hellish world of airlines) are invaluable. The customers loved this, and guess what? So did the employees.

Eliminate the trouble makers.
It's often said that businesses spend 80% of the time dealing with 20% of their customers. In my business, ad agencies often get saddled with clients that force them to operate at a loss to service their business. Crazy as it sounds, some agencies do it, hoping that they'll be able to make it profitable down the road. It rarely works. In order for a small business to thrive and grow it simply can't afford to do it that way. Always keep your eyes open for those customers that cause more harm than good, and steer them in a new direction. Then spend your time taking care of the customers who do your business good.

Use your loyal customers to help spread the word.
There's no marketing tool, no form of advertising in the world more effective than word-of-mouth. And there's really only one way for you to effect how it spreads: treat your customers well. If you take good care of them, they'll happily take good care of you. And the more they're out there, evangelizing in your name, the less you'll have to spend on other forms of marketing.

Anyone else got any thoughts on getting and keeping great customers? Let's hear 'em.

Anonymous Ad Guy