We’re here again doing the rounds on what’s the latest in customer or consumer behavior, and just people in general. The focus of today’s round-up is having that sense of belongingness.

Over at ConsumerGeneratedMedia.com, Pete shares what he terms as Listening Centered Marketing as Intuit is tapping into online communities to help small businesses as well as customers interact with each other. It seems like communities are wielding power on the Net, too, just like blogging. And the networking capability of these communities just like blogs can be overwhelming.

Liz Strauss of Successful & Outstanding Blog(gers) has a story that I really like: the Power of Offering, which could change the world. I agree! If we tell a person that we’re here to help him or her anytime, and he just needs to ask, invites good camaraderie. This camaraderie will spread and touch even the hardest heart. Remember there’s a saying that goes, “no man is an island.” Therefore there are things that we cannot do by ourselves. We would always need some other person. In turn that person also needs us. Life is a give and take. The same is true with customer service. We don’t read minds, so it’s better that we tell the other person what we need, how our steak should be done, or where we want to go.

Let me end this round-up with Glenn Ross’s call for everyone: some things more important that customer service… like taking care of yourself and those you love. This is related to Liz’s call, too. We need to take care of ourself in order to care for others. In the same manner that we need to take care of our internal customers first so that together we can care for our external customers.

Life is all about service.