Marketing can do a lot to bring customers to your door. Keeping them in your doors and coming back to do more business with you, is another thing.

A few years ago: I visited a local, long-time, Missoula appliance/electronic store to purchase a MAC computer. I waited and waited for someone to help me. When I realized no one was interested in helping me, I left and bought my MAC elsewhere.

Present time:  I was remodeling my kitchen and needed new appliances. I prefer to shop local so I decided to give the same appliance/electronic store a second chance. Unfortunately, I had a repeat experience. No service. I left and drove down the street to Sears where I got the help I needed and purchased my appliances.

Since then, I’ve had other less-than-positive interactions with the same business and have decided to write them off my list for any kind of relationship. Which is sad, because I really do like supporting local businesses.

They probably won’t even notice I’m not walking in their doors. What’s one “possible” customer? Who cares, right?

Given WOM (Word of Mouth) it can be more than what it appears. You can bet I’m not going to recommend them to anyone I know or meet. I’ll tell my story to anyone willing to listen. And perhaps, they’ll repeat the story down the road to other people inquiring about where to buy appliances or electronics.

A little respect as a customer, and as a professional, would have gone a long ways toward creating a happy life-long relationship.

And it’s so easy to do and costs next to nothing. It will even lower your overall marketing budget. If your business has mavens singing your praises you won’t need to advertise as much. They’ll do it for you.

For better or for worse, WOM is much more effective than spiffy ads and web sites and social network marketing campaigns.