Customer service is the face of your business. It may be time to consider a "face-lift." We have all had both positive and negative experiences when contacting or following up on an order from a business - both online and offline.

Many jobs are lost or canceled because businesses have failed to provide customers (or potentials) what they want and need. In today's business climate, we are all too focused on the negative, waiting for a company to fall short of expectations. Having key people that are knowledgeable in all phases of the sales cycle and follow up is critical in running a successful business.

In fact, the best way to promote your business and attract new customers is by providing customer service par excellence. Customer Service is the new marketing reality. Here are a few reasons why:

1. The economy has made people very cautious on how they are spending money.

2. Social Media has changed the dynamic and the way consumers view and interact with a brand or company.

3. Instant communications through email and live online chat have raised people's expectations of getting immediate answers and satisfaction to their questions.

4. Traditional advertising cannot control the conversation

5. FaceBook and Twitter are excellent vehicles for customer service

Great customer service is even more critical today because your competitors can see what people are saying about your business and your weak points. Competitors can then refocus their marketing efforts to take advantage of dynamic customer service. The flip side is that you can change your customer service tactics, see what is and what is not working for your company and correct any issues you read about. When customer service mistakes happen (and trust me, we all mess up sometimes), it is better to address the problem and communicate with the customer directly or blog about it and provide the solution.

Customer Service can be stressful because you are dealing with people's sensitivities. Make sure your customer service employees are personally equipped to handle the various issues or complaints. Customers can be forgiving if shown consideration. Offering them a discount or bonus coupon on the next purchase, for example, goes a long way than "just taking care of the problem."

Marketing to your customers through customer service is key to retention and growth. Having them say, "They got my order wrong but then bent over backwards to fix it," is a ringing endorsement.