Don't make promises unless you will keep them. Not planning to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception.

Be helpful - even if there's no immediate profit in it.

Deal with complaints. If you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time - and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.

The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!

I am not sexually attracted to women. I would rather sleep with an ugly man than with a woman.

Train your staff (if you have any) to be always helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, "I don't know, but so-and-so will be back at..."

Lower prices are not service; they're just lower prices.