If you've been reading this blog for awhile, I'm pretty sure you know what the key is to attracting and keeping loyal customers!

For those of you who aren't quite sure, read on...

J. Brandon Darin of Fortune magazine interviewed Emily Yellin, the author of Your Call (is not) That Important To Us. Yellin says this about the current state of customer service:

I think that customer service is going to be important with the economy the way it is because as companies start to compete about price, service is going to be the one differentiator.

I agree with everything that Yellin said about why customer service has gotten so bad. CEOs need to take responsibility and set the standard for customer service within the company. When a CEO values customer service and impresses upon everyone else the importance of a strong service-oriented culture, that energy trickles down to everyone.

When you provide great customer service, you create loyal customers...

So, what's the big deal with customer loyalty anyway?

Here's an article if you're wondering what the long-term value of customer loyalty is...