Business is a cut-throat place where only the strong survive. Trust does not come easily in commerce and needs to be earned over time. When you come across this situation you know that you cannot give the candle to anyone but yourself. Jackie Caesar once said, "Don't trust anyone or they will eat your lunch."

If you are a retailer, what is your relationship with your customers? Once they buy your product, do you try to avoid contact? For most retailers, time spent with customers is considered an expense. It is time that could be more productively spent on other work. Salespeople spend time with customers -- but only until the sale is made. After that customer contact usually indicates that there is a problem of some kind. There is a better way.