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Research suggests that while customer satisfaction and loyalty provide a foundation for high levels of customer lifetime value, they support a range of customer behaviors with widely varying values, characterized by mere loyalty (repeat purchase), commitment (willingness to refer others to a product or service), apostle‐like behavior (willingness to convince others to use a product or service), and ownership (willingness to recommend product or service improvements). As a result of these findings, it is of increasing importance that the small number of apostles and owners in a customer portfolio that can drive all of the profits should be identified and cultivated.

The customer pointed out to the Nordstrom salesperson that she had bought a pair of shoes at Bloomingdales (a competitor) that were too small for her. She liked the style, but Bloomingdales didn't have her size. After being fitted with the same shoe of the proper size, the customer started to pay for the shoes. The salesperson instead suggested that she merely take the too-small shoes in exchange for the new purchase. When the customer reminded the salesperson that she hadn't bought the first pair at Nordstrom, the salesperson said to her, “If I take these shoes for you, you won't have any reason to return to Bloomingdales.”

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