Be a good listener. Take the time to hear what your customers are really saying. Don’t assume you know what the customer wants. Listen to their words and watch their body language. Remember, customers don’t buy products. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems.

Make customers feel important. People value sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust. The old saying is true: “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Help customers understand your systems. Your organization may have the world’s best way to get things done, but if customers don’t understand them, they can get confused, impatient and angry. Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions.

Appreciate the power of “Yes”. Always look for ways to help your customers. As long as their request is reasonable, tell them that you’ll get right on it. Then figure out how afterwards.

Know how to apologize. When something goes wrong, apologize. It’s easy and customers like it. The customer may not always be right, but the customer must always win. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done.

Give more than expected. Never do the minimum. The best way to turn your customers into raving fans is to over deliver. You want your customers to go out and bring you new customers. Think about ways to rise above the competition.

Treat employees well. Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher was once asked who was more important: the customers, the employees or the shareholders? He answered simply, “The employees always come first. If employees are treated well, they’ll treat the customers well. If the customers are treated well, they’ll come back, and the shareholders will be happy.”