It's never easy to win new customers. One percent of direct mail is considered a great response rate. It can cost $100 million or more to create a consumer brand. So if you have a customer, it sure would be nice to keep her. Her are some quick tips to make sure she keeps coming back.

1. Freshen Up Your Appearance: In a world of instant, always-on media, customers get bored easily. If you're in the business of no-surprises (surgery, accounting) you can avoid this point about customer attention-deficit, to some degree. If you're in retail, financial services, consulting or most other fields, though, realize that sameness and consistency has a downside. Find ways to freshen up how you deliver your services. Seasonal changes to decor (even website decor), a new way to answer the phone, a different tagline in an email -- anything to get their attention.

1. Out with the Old: If you use equipment in the delivery of your service (party rental company, dental office waiting room television, car service) replace it before it's completely through its useful life. Don't wait for a customer to comment on it.
2. Add Benefits and Improve Quality: When you look at the masters of customer loyalty -- McDonald's comes to mind -- think about what makes it an excellent company (and nevermind how you feel about their product itself). The menu is constantly changing, and is paid off with fresh in-store signage, commercials, and retail point-of-sale promotion.
3. Raise Prices, But Carefully: If you don't raise your prices every year or so, you are not keeping pace with inflation. Unless you work in a business in which costs drop faster than inflation, you have to raise prices to stay in business. Don't be ashamed to raise your prices. But do it considerately. If you're in a service business, give customers as much notice of a price change as possible -- at least weeks or months if possible. You may even be able to offer "price protection" for good customers: keep them on the current rates/prices for the coming year, so that they are a year behind new customers in pricing. This gives them a reward for loyalty.

1. Enroll Good Customers as Advocates: Encourage customers who are fans to "Like" you on Facebook, write positive reviews on Yelp! and other review sites, and spread the word. Don't assume they'll tell others about you. Make it easy for them to do it.
2. Spy on Your Employees: Sounds sneaky? It's not. Hire a secret shopper service to go through your customer experience periodically. Have customers complete surveys about shopping experiences. Have employees identify themselves by name (on the phone) and with badges (in person) so customers can remember them. And don't just spy on your employees. Reward great service and retrain those who aren't delivering it.