5 Best Customer Service Ideas Don't do business without them.

You know the stories: There's the legendary tale of aNordstrom clerk who refunded the price of a customer's tires,even though Nordstrom doesn't sell tires. And who could forgetthe one about a Midwest Express employee who lent his own suit to apassenger whose luggage had been lost?

Reserved for world-class companies, these stories tell of theloyalty-boosting customer service most entrepreneurs would killfor. The problem? Most entrepreneurs don't have the foggiestidea how to provide this kind of service. In the words of JayGoltz, 42, founder and president of Artists Frame Service inChicago, and author of The Street Smart Entrepreneur (AddicusBooks), "You read books, go to seminars, hear speakers talkabout great customer service, but it doesn't alwayswork."

There are, however, a few things that almost always work.Consider the following five ideas the equivalent of "Once upona time...," the beginning of your own tales of legendarycustomer service.