Outstanding customer service associated with the buying and selling of goods and services is often discussed, sought after, and once in awhile, delivered. Whether the marketplace is large or small, New York City or Machias, getting consistent and excellent customer service is often an elusive if not fleeting goal. When satisfying the customer all comes together, the resulting outcome can be magic.

Some of the goals of progressive businesses include putting the customer first and doing the best to meet their needs. When retail staff focuses on things other than assisting the customer, or are engaged in small talk with fellow employees, this is not in the best interest of the customer. The customer that feels staff are, indeed, focused on their needs in the marketplace often become ongoing and satisfied customers willing to share their positive experiences with their friends and neighbors, who in turn also have a higher potential of becoming new customers.

Businesses need to keep it simple. Customers are looking for shopping experiences that are entertaining, efficient and productive. Customers want to buy what they want where they want it when they want it.

Knowing the customer and their needs is important. Businesses use surveys, focus groups and other market research to know their customers better and then to meet their needs. A local Bangor business has recently morphed from selling groceries and related foodstuffs to marketing movies and other video media. Good businesses are constantly changing to meet the needs of the customers.

Keep it simple is another rule of successful businesses. Make it easy for the customer to get discounts, utilize gift certificates without expiration dates or decreasing value over time, and other annoyances to the customer.

Offering limited food choices of the highest quality as opposed to a wide variety of mediocre choices can help satisfy the needs of the customer. Skip Rest, owner of the Coffeepot on State Street, offers a relatively limited sandwich menu, drinks and chips in a spotless, standing only environment. His Coffeepot sandwiches are fresh and of the highest quality, which probably explains the daily noon crowd of 15 to 20 people lined up out the door even on the coldest winter days.

Another important concept: Success begets success. Progressive businesses that are always trying to improve their service and reinvent themselves everyday are businesses that are most likely to prevail in the competitive marketplace. Businesses that are not focused on continual self-improvement soon lose market share to companies that do.

Businesses would do well to remember that customers always go where they get good value. Value is what the customer thinks it is, not what the business may feel is value.

Customers always go where they are treated well. We all can think of instances where we have been involved with businesses that have treated us very poorly. The result is that the customer votes with his feet and never says a word, but also, never returns.

Also, unhappy customers love to share their unhappy experiences with anyone who will listen, which further slows store traffic flow. The business owner can only scratch his head to figure out what has happened to his customer base. We have seen over the years a positive revolution in the way customers are treated in waiting rooms at the car dealerships. Wide-screen television, fresh coffee, tea and soft overstuffed furniture. This is a far cry from trying to find a safe place to stand in a dirty, noisy garage that was standard procedure not so many years ago.

New companies coming to a community can help raise the bar for customer service to all companies. What was once acceptable becomes “not good enough” to compete. Bangor has recently enjoyed the addition of the L.L. Bean call center as well as Hollywood Slots, both providing second-to-none customer service. This will have the effect of forcing all local companies to sharpen their focus on better customer service. Central Maine consumers stand to benefit in this ongoing, competitive process.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the BDN and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded, nonprofit organization. Individual memberships $25, business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.