Last week, I wrote that — like American Idol contestants — website owners need to think hard about their particular “it factor” or their “star quality.”

There are many different ways that a company can find its own “star quality.” For this week, I’ll discuss the one I hear most often. When I ask an owner what makes his store different from other stores, he almost always says it’s his company’s “customer service.”

Of course since everyone says they’re customer service is unique … that may or may not be fact. And an owner may need to dig deeper. But, for now, we’ll run with the thought.

Once the owner tells me his customer service is great, I review his website and there’s usually nothing on the site to demonstrate the point … other than a weak, “We guarantee your satisfaction.”

A good way to prove your customer service is to use genuine testimonials. If your company really is great at “customer service,” you should have a boatload of them. And they should be on a dedicated testimonial page and sprinkled throughout the website.

Usually, the problem is that owners are not diligent about gathering testimonials. Big mistake — especially for those in local communities. Testimonials from neighbors can have a big influence on a buyer.

In addition, individual testimonial pages can be optimized for specific products and local search. In a later tip, I will write in more detail about gathering and using testimonials.

Another way of demonstrating your customer service is to state your unique procedures. Do your deliverymen put shoe covers on before going into the customer’s home? Do they unpack merchandise with white gloves? Do they cart old furniture away at no additional charge?

Anything you do to make the customer feel special about her purchase should be clearly featured on your website.

Easy Web Tip #112: If customer service is what makes you an American Idol, it’s not enough to say it. You must also prove it.