"The last person to buy from you is the most likely to buy again and soon." This quote is an old one and I do not know the author but I do know it to be true. After spending fourteen years of my life owning and running a retail art gallery, I was witness to this happening over and over again.

A repeat customer does not happen by accident. A repeat customer is the result of excellent customer service from you.

A man by the name of Harold Stanley Marcus was born on April 20, 1905 in Dallas, Texas. His family started an upper-end retail store in 1907 and called it Neiman-Marcus. Stanley started at the bottom in the family business in 1926 as a floorman. He began to work on the store's image and customer service. Mr. Marcus has been quoted as saying "Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten." His son Richard, who took over from his father upon retirement, put a different spin on his father's words of wisdom.

"Care for your customer and they will return... care for your merchandise and it won't."

Stanley Marcus retired in 1975 as a chairman who had shepherded the store to international prominence through a combination of uncompromising quality in merchandise and unwavering commitment to customer service. In 1984 Neiman- Marcus inaugurated retailing's first customer loyalty program, InCircle. If you have a few minutes, take a look at the InCircle program at http://www.neimanmarcus.com. At the middle of the page on the left, click on InCircle Rewards. It is a secure page but you can scroll down to see what they are giving their good customers.

Granted, Neiman-Marcus is an upper-end retailer and it is inconceivable for you or me to offer anything to

The point is... what are you doing to bring your customer back?

Your new customer will receive a thank-you confirmation electronically which will probably contain other URLs to your other programs or products. Correct? But what else?

Right now you have the perfect opportunity to send a very personal email to that new customer. You may be thinking "I don't have time to send out personal emails after every sale." Well, you can't afford not to. The next merchant will if you don't, and that's the merchant who will gain a loyal customer.

Offer your new customer your personal assistance and attention after the sale. Give them all of your contact information: email, phone number and address. Also, let them know that you have a "complimentary gift" for them as a "thank-you" for their purchase. Try to avoid the word "free." This word seems to have lost it's power due to its being used in almost every ad on the Internet.

When you offer to give personal assistance to your customer, make sure you are available during certain business hours. Answer your emails as quickly as possible. An immediate response is impressive and creates trust.

"Once you have your customer's trust, you have won the most valuable prize in business."

"Care for your customer and they will return..."

Markay Vallario publishes "Scientific Internet Advertising" Claude Hopkins and Terry Dean. Visit: http://www.01-advertising.com Markay also owns Markam Designs: Web design and hosting, domain registration, advertising assistance and more. Visit: http://www.markamdesigns.com