This is my answer to a question posted on the Powercore blog:

Q) Give an example of a time you went the extra mile for a client. What did you do? What caused you to make this decision? Under what circumstances would you do this again? 

  

A) There is only "the mile". I have learned the hard way, that you define what you will do and what you won't do very clearly. Clients who ask, or expect you to go out side that boundary are not clients I wish to have.
So, having said that. Because of that philosophy; going "the mile" in my business, compared to others looks like we are going very extra!
Since we don't consider it extra we don't set up any false expectations for our eventual payback. In other words, there are no strings attached. All we ask is that we get paid for our usual efforts! (Think about this dynamic in your own family and you will know what I mean!!!). All we ask is that we get paid for our efforts!
Many of my competitors have become what I call "ruined" and punish all their clients for the sins of only a few. Things like: not taking checks anymore, not facilitating warrantee work for the client at the dealership, not doing the free stuff that they say is included in give away oil changes, not honoring their own warrantees if they can squirm out of it. Things we normally do as "the mile". I've never met an intentionally dishonest mechanic, only many ruined ones who rationalize their dishonesty based on getting burned from the extra mile they went and got punished for.