The Power of Reputation 49 Creating customer loyalty is not about eliminating all cus- tomer service glitches or creating a perfect process, but rather consistently and uncompromisingly treating customers nicely. The golden rule philosophy of the original owner and namesake of the highly successful outdoor clothing and equipment com- pany, L.L. Bean, shows that a caring reputation is constructed carefully. "A lot of people have fancy things to say about Cus- tomer Service, but it's just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, neverending, persevering, compassionate kind of activity," said Leon Gorman, chairman of the board of L.L. Bean. Renowned for its caring, no-questions-asked, customer service reputation, L.L. Bean re- lies on customer loyalty in differentiating itself from its com- petitors and contributing to annual sales of $1.5 billion. When professionals and their companies make a caring repu- tation a mainstay of their business purpose, they are not only being kind to individual customers but they also get to collect and keep customers. Having high levels of kindness capital also means they get to choose among the best and brightest employ- ees in the world. Don't Buy the Best and Brightest The end result of kindness is that it draws people to you. --Anita Roddick, founder and former CEO of The Body Shop In an agile labor environment characterized by high choice, mobility, and access to the global marketplace, attracting top- notch employees can be challenging. Fortunately, a business