Think of customers as friends: the more they like you, the closer they become. To keep them around, you'll need to prove that you are capable of more connection and shared value. If you betray their trust, consistently do something they don't like, or prove to them that you don't really care about them, they'll dump you, just like they would to a friend who does the same.

And it's that relationship that makes all the difference. Word travels fast, with cheap and powerful communication devices. Now a company's reputation for being bad at relationships can be shared in an instant, and sales can drop out from under you.

If you focus on the deepening customer relationship, when your customers get closer, they'll see more they like, because you've put attention on those deeper levels of engagement. They'll feel like you know them. Otherwise, you're all image, no substance, and you won't keep people around long enough to come back – or better yet, come back with friends.