Don’t force me to shop.

I am amazed at how many places I go to give my business to companies where the people "helping" me simply make it way too hard to continue to shop there.

I spent 45 minutes in a line last week for a rental car. When I got to the counter, I was asked to give all the information I included online so that the person at the counter could input all the information again.

(Incidentally, if you are in a hurry, I don't recommend Advantage Rent-a-Car but they did save me a lot of money.)

I have written a few of my experiences with VoIP. I am not done yet because everyone seems to think I should shop until I find the right deal. The fact is, every client will shop if the buying process becomes too difficult. Everyone's threshold for giving up depends on their level of loyalty and what they are willing to put up with.

Loyalty can be a great thing. I used to be pretty loyal to Packet8. Loyalty can allow you to be forgiven when you make a mistake. It can give you a second chance when you don't deserve it.

Bottom line... if you make the buying process too hard for your clients, they will shop. They won't put up with you forever.