Deborah Shane, who hosts weekly business radio show Deborah Shane Metropolis, wrote on Small Business Trends' website that if a small business isn't giving good service, don't expect it to last.

Shane quotes a Consumer Reports survey, which found that 64 percent of customers say they have "stomped out" of stores, and 67 percent said they have hung up on a business they were on-hold with, due to poor service.

"I was astounded at the lack of priority and vision those statistics reveal when it comes to businesses not only attracting new customers but also retaining the ones we already have," Shane said on the website. She said customer service doesn't seem to be a major priority these days, but she said this is a big mistake, as retaining customers is a cost-effective way of running a business.

"Indispensable, standout, unexpected service today is as essential and important as air, water and food are for the survival of human beings," she writes.

According to Shane, if a company is not consistent, responsible, knowledgeable, relevant and pleasant in their customer service, "they will be gone from my world pronto!"

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