However, one thing that does offer distinction is the level of customer service and, more notably, the level of customer disservice.

When I first started this article, I asked several people what kind of experiences they had had with poor customer service. Some of their experiences were extreme – with one instance where a photographer punched an unsatisfied customer – but most relayed occurrences consistent with my own. I narrowed it down to three behaviors of customer disservice. When these behaviors are continually maintained, the ability to drive people away will surely be in the bag.

Businesses that Act as if their Customer’s are Invisible: In a store or a restaurant, ignoring a customer can range from not asking them if they need help to forgetting to refill their coffee cup. In a marketing firm or a law office, ignoring a customer can range from not returning their phone calls to keeping them on hold, forcing them to listen to the latest John Tesh album. There may be no quicker way to lose a customer than by simply failing to acknowledge their existence.

I, for instance, was ignored at a hardware store years ago, an occurrence I attributed to the fact that I’m a woman. As I stood in line watching the clerk look past me to help man after man, I made a decision to never shop at that hardware store again. Being that I have since been to other hardware stores at least twice, I’m sure my business was sorely, sorely missed.

Ignoring the customer is a lonely road to go down; its bricks are paved with bankruptcy rather than gold. Something as simple as offering your customers a cordial greeting or calling them to let them know you’re working on their case can make all the difference. Simply, give your customers the attention they want.

Businesses that are too Pushy: On the other end of the spectrum are the businesses that are overzealous with their customers. Pushiness, bossiness, and controlling tendencies are something customers will also stray away from. Most people avoid the clothing stores with four salespeople per customer and stay away from the insurance agencies that call every day. Most people don’t like the electronics store where items are shoved down their throats or the financial services where advisors show up unannounced on their front door, peering in the window as they try to eat dinner with their family.

Customers want things done on their terms. It really is a conundrum for the business person: people want your attention, but they don’t want to have to bring you up on stalking charges. The only answer is to compromise: be helpful and available to your customers but don’t be a business that acts like a used car salesman; do away with the checkered jacket and the gold tooth.

Businesses that Make Assumptions: Making assumptions are human nature, but they have no place in business. It may seem natural to make an assumption about a customer or potential customer based on their appearance or the tone of their voice, but a good business will never react, or fail to react, based on merely a notion.

There is a pivotal scene in the movie Pretty Woman Answer To Relieving Pain In Business
The previous Sangaraja, the Supreme Patriarch of the monastic order (of Thailand), once went on a tour of China, where someone offered him a very beautiful teacup. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen. He thought, "Oh! The people here have real faith in me, to offer me this beautiful teacup!" And as soon as the teacup was in his hand, immediately he was suffering. Where should I put it? Where is safe to keep it? He couldn't stop worrying it would break.Before he had that teacup, he was fine. Once he had it, he wanted to show it off to the people back home in Thailand. He put it in his bag and kept