You may remember last week, I was discussing the odd phone call I received from a chap with a weirdly low opinion of the dealer network.

I did my best to explain him, in the politest way possible, that I thought he was wrong - and that these were some of the reasons why. Most of my arguments were based on actual stories we hear coming out of dealerships, either from dealers themselves, or directly from their customers.

I'm not sure how much of this got through to this chap. If I gave him another meaningful vote on the subject, proposing exactly what I proposed to him last time, would he change his mind? I doubt it. Unless there was something in it for himself I guess?

Anyway, my story last week resonated with some readers who recognised that difficult customer that everyone must deal with on occasion.

It also prompted some to get in touch to point out that when you spend your working day doing the right thing, there are customers out there who genuinely appreciate your efforts.

One email I received from a dealer, detailed an example of one of their satisfied customers, whose comment had come through to them, ironically, just as my blog hit their inbox last week.

This unsolicited response from a customer talked of entering their store to buy a chainsaw and the service received from two members of staff.

The customer talks about knowing very little about anything and how the dealer went through the range of chainsaws, indicating their pros and cons. He explains how the dealer wasn't pushy and offered to leave him to think about it, resulting in him buying a new STIHL chainsaw - with guidance then given on how to sharpen and care for its chain and bar.

A different member of staff then took the customer outside and showed him the correct way to use and care for his chainsaw.

The customer finishes off his message saying, "I know these are only a few lines and it doesn't portray the whole event, but I would like you to know that I have not been dealt with so politely or professionally for many years. These two men are a credit to your company, and I am so pleased to see that this good, polite service still exists out there.

"I have already spoken amongst my friends as to how impressed I was. It is word of mouth that brought me to you, and I shall spread that word further. Please forward my thanks to your staff and long may your ethics continue."

We know from collating customer feedback comments when Service Dealer runs the Dealer Of The Year awards, that customers around the country are receiving care and attention such as this from independent dealers all the time. It's heartening to read. And whilst none of us do our jobs for praise and adulation - it is undeniable that hearing feedback like that is gratifying and gives you encouragement to keep going.

I think one of the most telling comments from that satisfied customer is "It is word of mouth that brought me to you, and I shall spread that word further." That is such a valuable tool for independent, specialist retailers. Treating every customer to the highest level of service will go a long way to making sure this form of viral marketing is always bubbling along in the background for your business.

The next step of course is doing all that you can to guarantee that the customer will return to your store again and again. Interestingly, I read a great blog post on this very subject just this week.

Many of you will know Sara Hey from last year’s Service Dealer Conference and from her column in the magazine. Sara represents Bob Clements International, the Missouri-based dealer development specialists and Bob Clements himself this week, wrote a piece called Building Long-Term Relationships.

It’s only a brief blog entry but it’s well worth checking out. Bob explains that successful sales people understand that the only way to consistently generate orders and increase business is through customer loyalty. This loyalty, he says, is built by continuing to monitor and cultivate the customer’s satisfaction.

He then goes though a series of procedures which he believes will aid dealers in this quest.

If you've got five minutes today, give it a read. You may pick up a practical hint you hadn't considered before.