A funny thing happened to me a few of weeks ago while I was at the drive through of my bank. I was pleasantly surprised by the courteousness of the customer service representative who was completing my deposit. At the conclusion of my transaction, she said, "we value your business Mr. Turner." I wasn't expecting anything beyond "is there anything else I can help you with and have a nice weekend." So, I thought to myself, they must have hired someone new who is excited about their job.

It wasn't that I was used to poor customer service at my bank. Their customer service was fine...just fine. They had always been courteous, polite, and efficient in a way that landed them squarely in the middle of just what you'd expect when doing business somewhere. Their service wasn't disappointing, but it wasn't flashy either. Because it was squarely in the middle of the spectrum of customer service, it was something that I didn't think about as I did my banking. It was a non-issue.

Then, a week or two later, it happened again. Only this time it was with a different customer service representative. "We appreciate your business Mr. Turner." My bank had looked at their already decent customer service and had decided to give it a makeover. The moral here is that even fairly good business practices can deserve a fresh look with an eye towards improvement every once in a while. Because when a part of business becomes a non-issue, it also becomes a lost opportunity, a lost opportunity to keep a customer, a lost opportunity to gain a customer, and a lost opportunity for market share.

Has customer service at your business become a non-issue? Consider these three tips from an article by Susan A. Friedmann, author of Riches in Niches, How to Make it BIG in a Small Market called "The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service."

Make the customer feel important and appreciated. People have a sixth sense when it comes to sincerity. They can tell when someone is "shining the apple" or when they are being forthright. In training your staff, emphasize this point with them. All of the warm platitudes in the world won't win over a customer if they don't seem to be heartfelt.

Give more than expected. In doing so, ask yourself "What can you give customers that they cannot get elsewhere? What can you do to follow-up and thank people even when they don't buy? What can you give a customer that is totally unexpected? "

Finally, Treat employees well. This goes without saying, but as the ambassadors charged with the responsibility of "being the company" when dealing with the public, they truly are your most valuable asset. Be sure to let them know that they're appreciated and exactly how they help contribute to the business' success.

Focusing on the fundamentals isn't very glamorous, but it can pay great dividends. Take another look at your customer service program and see if it needs some tweaking. Your customers will be pleasantly surprised that you did.