You always know when a business gets too big for its britches.

It’s the burning smell coming from a series of unhappy clients. Paying clients, not deadbeats.

• Complaint letters never get a personal response.

• Contracts get broken in spite of the “punishment fees”.

• Worst of all, there is no acknowledgement of an unhappy client who has always paid their bill on time. Now the smoke is pouring out of the kitchen.

Failure to delight clients is a business failure.

• On a personal level, I’ve been a client of a growing number of large businesses that have failed to follow the “pillars of delight” as a business model.

• They have so many clients that they take them for granted. Clients feel like bugs to be squashed when trying to address a real problem or concern.

Customer satisfaction and appreciation is a number one best-seller.

Here are some ways to clearly express appreciation:

• Offer a reward system for loyal customers. The small gifts are a surprisingly effective way of saying thank you. This could be an extra product or an extra service. Serve the extra five minutes, say, as the extra mile.

• Take the heat gracefully. Mistakes and misunderstandings happen. Figure out a fair way to compensate your client. This is far less costly than “reverse referrals”.

• Simply say the words “thank you for your business”. In a world of constant negativity, these words are a day-brightener when spoken warmly and sincerely.

  Take a page from Chick-fil-a. Little things like, my pleasure, create a crowd of loyal fans.

  Thank you for reading this, by the way.

  Perhaps you already have a grateful fan club? Spotlight your happy client stories to breed a circle of gratitude!

  Now that’s a smell that’s warm, spicy, and very attractive.