In 1997, tech entrepreneur Greg Gianforte started a company in an extra bedroom in his house. It became known as RightNow Technologies (NASDAQ: RNOW), which now generates more than $100 million in annual revenues.

Recently, I had a chance to talk to Greg. I asked him: Is it a good time to start a business?

His answer was simple: It's always a good time to start a business.

In 1997, Greg Gianforte started a new-fangled software company called Right Now (NASDAQ: RNOW) to help companies improve customer relationships. It proved to be great timing, since the internet was just beginning its surge.

Over the years, I've had a chance to talk to Greg, who always has great insights for entrepreneurs. Now he has a new book: Eight to Great: Eight Steps to Delivering an Exceptional Customer Experience.

It's a quick read, easy to understand and has lots of case studies focusing on companies like eHarmony, TomTom, Nikon, and so on.

The theme of the book is straightforward: "providing an excellent customer experience -- the sum total of a customer's interactions with an organization -- can be the single best way to set your company apart from the competitors."

OK, so what are some of the things you can do to help improve customer service?