Textbooks on business strategy or marketing will tell you that every company needs to develop a sustainable competitive advantage to grow and prosper.  What I am going to boldly say, with only my experience to back it up, is this: There is only one thing that matters in business today. You can throw out all the textbooks and forget all the research. If you don't take care of the customer with superb customer service, nothing else matters.

Here are four tales to illustrate my point and hopefully, convey my conviction.

Several weeks ago, my family and I went shopping at a store we like.  Even though it is a half hour drive to get there, we willingly spent the time because of their high-quality products and their pleasant, knowledgeable sales associates. When we returned home, we discovered a mistake in our purchase. Here's the kicker, and what makes this story unusual: When we called the store the next afternoon, the sales associate who answered the phone offered to drive to our home, make the exchange and resolve the problem. The suggestion was made despite the fact that it would mean that the employee would be driving in rush hour traffic on a very hot afternoon. Now, don't you want to know the name of that store? (OK Here's a hint, it start's with an 'N' and ends with an 'M'.) Don't you want to patronize a business that offers that level of customer service?