Once upon a time, customer service meant more than pressing 2 to wait (and wait and wait) for "the next available representative." Companies valued those who bought their goods and services and went the proverbial extra mile to make them happy. Today we're more likely to hear about a company that's ripped off its customers than treated them right.

Failing to make your clients happy is more than a shame. It's slow-motion corporate suicide. If you want to make it in today's crowded, recession-wracked market, you must create clients and customers who rave about your company the way they would their favorite sports team.

Obviously, making raving fans out of your clients is easier said than done. If it were easy, then corporate giants that have plenty of money to throw at such a concept would be overrun with happy clients.