Customer service is the number one reason that keeps me going back to a certain store for anything. It' s also why I had lots of repeat customers when I was selling guns. It wasn' t because we had the lowest prices, but we usually did.

You don' t have to go broke doing it. I never gave away anything, except advise. 1. Make sure you sell quality products.
2. Help the customer make informed buying decisions. I' ve talked alot of customers out of spending a bunch of money if we could outfit them for less and still satisfy his/her needs. They appreciate that.
3. And knowledge is critical. If you have to attend seminars, go out and field test products yourself, or whatever, make sure you know what you' re talking about when you recommend something or talk to a customer about a problem.
4. Be honest. If you don' t know, find someone that does, or promise to research it and get back with the customer. Even if they go somewhere else to get their answers, the effort you put into helping them will be remembered in the future.

And that' s what it' s all about isn' t it? The future.