Editor's Note: CR4 would like to thank Mike Koza of GEA Consulting for contributing this blog entry.

Serving your customers. Treating them with respect. These are two ways to keep customers returning for your products. (Of course, your products must be quality products, free from defects, and if one perchance occurs, replacement or refund of money will gladly take place.) You encourage - honestly encourage - your customers to comment and/or complain about their purchases and/or your service. This is the only way you can get better (aside from a truly innovated product), and keep your customers returning time and again.

However, some may say it will cost us too much money to follow this policy. I don't believe this! Look at Wal-Mart's return policy. Look at Home Depot's return policy! Their return policy is one of the main reasons I shop there. Then there's the other end of the scale. I recently bought a 3-hole paper punch. In less than 4 months one of the punches wouldn't retract. I contacted the company, and was told, "We don't cover punches!" Needless to say, I will not purchase any of their products again, and will tell my story to others. So it's your choice, serve your customers and have repeat business, or don't serve your customers and suffer the aftereffects.

- Mike Koza