Cathedral City resident and WWII veteran was a model soldier
Armed with paint, papier-mâché and plaster of Paris, Lou Jacobs Jr. built terrain models for Allied invasion landings during World War II.

The family of one of my friends, David, when I was young owned a small bakery. There were another few bakeries in town, but theirs was, without a doubt, the best one in our town - and for miles around. When they moved, it became the best bakery in that town also. David's mother and father were from Germany and they were excellent cooks of anything with wheat flour and sugar, icing, or glaze. At twelve, David was already well-versed in business and I got to see him selling to customers many times.

One thing I noticed that stuck with me my entire life. The customer was never wrong. Surprised? Probably not. We've all heard the phrase before but how many of us can put it into practice? Swallowing pride is tough - and impossible in some situations. But, if you could consistently operate your business according to this simple concept it would likely thrive - assuming all else is in order.

David was good at business because he saw the customer as the most important person in the bakery, not himself. His parents weren't even as good at customer service as David was. I saw him give free donuts to kids. I saw him give a whole box of donuts to a customer that dropped hers. I saw him argue with a customer gently for 10 minutes trying to get him to understand why something was the way it was... and then he said, "OK, for you" and gave the customer what she wanted with a genuine smile.

I saw him say "OK" when things were far from OK. David, as a teen, had the core business fundamental, "Do the right thing" ingrained in his head and he was awesome at it. The customer was always right. If there was a question about eating the cost on something - he ate it. His parents were in agreement with it most time, but I saw him presenting a case for a customer he refunded money to once. His dad said he'd give the bakery away if someone asked for it.

David's business persona was nothing like his personality in person. That's what shocked me I guess, and why I remember things so vividly. David was like any other crazy teenage boy outside the bakery, and yet when he went inside he was totally customer focused and in customer service mode.

When you run your business according to the "do the right thing" principle, you have the opportunity to make almost everything 'right'. You can manage almost every misunderstanding, disagreement, or argument that occurs. If you are operating your business according to this principle it's never an issue about getting into a heated argument - because you just won't. The customer is right because after they walk out that door of the business you worked so hard to build, they can start to work on tearing your business down. Unhappy customers spread their unhappiness by word of mouth as often as they can. Have too many unhappy customers - though you may have been "right" - and you'll ruin your business anyway.

In an argument both sides are looking for a win or a way out. If there is no way you can give your customer a win - then give them a way out. An easy way out. You should give this some forethought and have some options you can offer the customer that is less than what they want, but that gives them something that can be taken as a small win. For some customers, they'll never be satisfied with anything less than a total win. If you're not prepared to start down the path of destroying your entire business - give them the win. Look at it this way - you did the right thing, and, you'll never see that person or their friends again.

Every day you are working you have to keep this long-term strategy of doing the right thing in mind. Your business is a long-term investment of your time, energy, money, and emotions. Doing the right thing can be the ideal business model.

The author has extensive experience helping small businesses get off the ground and profitable. In order of importance the following steps are recommended for all new entrepreneurs: 1. Form a business in a niche you can dominate. 2. Incorporate your business at StartGeorgiaBusiness.com or, insert your state in place of Georgia. 3. Spend 90% of your time marketing your business. By following these steps, as simple as they might sound - you'll be in a niche that you can be successful in. You'll be protected in large part from having your personal assets taken in a lawsuit against the company. And lastly, you'll be doing all you can to reach as many interested people in your business as possible. These are the three basic keys to success.