Don't Break Promises

Customers will look at the promises that you make to them as a test of your integrity and honesty. Passing that test will reinforce their loyalty and put them more at ease in the future. They will feel comfortable doing business with you and make it diffucult for competitors to lure them away.

But failing the test will result in just the opposite. They will wonder if they can believe anything that you or your employees tell them. And the negative word-of-mouth travels much faster than the positive. Let your competitors break their promises but go out your way to keep yours.

More on this topic in chapter 25 of my book "The Jelly Bean Principle"