It's an age-old saying - Practice what you preach. Fast-forward to today and you could change that to practice it and do it at Internet speed. But it would be dangerous to let action be the only focus. It might seem goofy, touchy-feely or even frivolous, but every company has to have core values. The founders of the great industrial companies understood perfectly well that in order to prosper, a business had to deliver value to it's customers and employees as well as to it's investors. To quote Henry Ford, "business must be run at a profit . else it will die. But when anyone tries to run a business solely for profit . then also the business must die, for it no longer has a reason for existence."

And the company leaders must express and reinforce those core values to its employees and customers over and over again if they are to have any real meaning.

At Casa Sanchez, a core value is family. The Sanchez family wants customers to feel like they are sitting down to a meal Mexican-family style. A place where there is music, conversation, laughter. A place where everyone knows your name, like it or not. This core value of creating a family dinner experience is what drives the employees to get to know their customers by name, to know a little about their lives and to smile at every patron. The idea of family is also behind the window that displays all the Polaroids of the customers who have tattooed the logo on their various body parts. They are a family in their own right.

If the owners had never had such a clear vision and never communicated to their employees the enthusiasm for such a place, Casa Sanchez would be no different than Taco Bell. It would be just another place to eat. The Sanchez family doesn't just tell employees that it is their JOB to get to know their customers. They lead by example?sitting down with patrons, calling out their names as they come in and keeping the enthusiasm and energy high. Even the recipes come from the grandmother in Zacatecas Mexico, which is proudly announced to patrons and visitors of the company web site. In every interview, upon every visit and on every page of the Casa Sanchez web site, there is mention of family. Casa Sanchez practices and preaches its values and then it preaches about it some more. Your business can too.

5 Steps Down the Aisle of Customer Loyalty

If you haven't done so already, identify what your commitment to your customers is. For example, FedEx promises absolutely, positively overnight. Perhaps, yours is simply to deliver on your promises as promised or to be on time and to smile. You may have more than one commitment to your customers. Whatever it is, write it down, memorize it and take it to heart.

-          Be sure to remember it is YOUR job to lead your team to embrace this commitment. Taking into account their feedback, being sure to explain why this is so important and considering any additions or modifications your team may have will reduce resistance to any change.

-          Post your commitment in your team room, in your lobby?any place where both customers and team members can be constantly reminded of the values at work in your company.

-          Think of a time when your relationship with your customers was tested in your company. For example, if your core value is treating your customers' right, think of a time when a product or service was less than perfect. How did the company rectify the situation? What extent did you go to treat customers "right"? This can be a valuable tool in preaching what you practice.

-          Use the example over and over and OVER in meetings, company literature and team functions. It emphasizes just how seriously you and your organization are committed to the value. Eventually it will become part of company legend.