I’m a huge fan of the show Burn Notice. The show’s premise is that government spy Michael Westen has been black listed, leaving him with no resources, no handlers and no idea who burned him.

I would not call myself as a risk taker, and that’s part of the appeal of the show for me. There are some great life lessons from Burn Notice that even the most conservative chap could apply to his life. Here are five things I’ve learned from the past two seasons.

Lesson 1 — Know your mission

Westen’s mission on Burn Notice is to find out who burned him and why, and then get back to being a spy. Almost everything he does is aimed at reaching that goal. He’s got no time for pity parties and other foolishness that usually comes along when you’ve been “done wrong.”

Lesson 2 — Do your recon

Reconnaissance is done to gather intelligence on an enemy or in an unknown situation. Westen never rushes into a job without having the right intel. Even when time is of the essence, he makes sure he has the details needed before making his next move.

Lesson 3 — Plan of attack (have one)

Part of Westen’s skill set is the ability to read people and control situations well enough to ensure the outcome he wants. Once he’s gathered the necessary data, it’s time to put the plan in motion. Westen plans out every detail from what kind of character he will portray to his entry and exit points when it comes to the showdown.

Even if something doesn’t go as expected, Westen can quickly shift his plan of attack. It usually takes some creativity and very fast thinking on his part, but it is television after all.

Lesson 4 — Help others along the way

Westen’s main focus is finding out how to get his old life back. However, that doesn’t keep him from lending a hand (for a fee, of course) to those who seek his special capabilities to retrieve an item or to take down the perpetual bully, extortionist, etc.

A willingness to be the help someone needs in the midst of your own crisis says a lot about your character.

Lesson 5 — Have a good backup team

Westen couldn’t do the majority of the things he does without Sam Axe and Fiona Glenanne. Axe brings to the table his days as a Navy Seal and Military Intel Operative. Glenanne brings weapons and explosives expertise to the party. She can handle it all and is ready to rock it at a moment’s notice.

They come together and enable Westen to go up against some amazing odds. Each one knows that they have each others’ backs. Nobody is more or less important than anyone else. There is a major trust factor between them that every player is giving their all toward the success of the operation.

As the summer rolls out the third season, I’ll be watching to see what else I may learn from Michael Westen. In the process, maybe he’ll get his old job back.

You just bought a 52” HD flat screen television. Fifteen minutes into the game, the screen goes dark and you can’t get it to turn back on. You call customer service only to find out that your warranty ended the minute you left the store and because you didn’t buy the extended warranty coverage, it will cost you an arm and a leg to fix it. They won’t replace the television, even though you have your receipt, insisting that you did not have the television properly installed because you did it yourself.

When it comes to serving your clients, do you come across like the place that once the customer has paid, they are no longer your concern? People are tired of getting what seems like a great deal until there’s a problem. Suddenly, there is nobody around willing to help, leaving the customer frustrated, angry and spreading the word not to use your business and why.

In today’s economic times, treating clients and customers with respect and decency is what will keep them coming back time and again. I think that this woman says it best in this short clip.

Here are a few things that can go a long way in keeping current clients and bringing in new ones.

Return phone calls and e-mails in a timely fashion.

Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like you are being ignored. Make it a point to return calls and e-mails within 24 hours of when you receive them. Even if you don’t have the answer to the client’s question, at least let him or her know you are working on it. There may be times when it’s not possible to follow up within a day, and that’s alright. If it’s the exception and not the rule, clients are likely to be understanding.

Under promise and over deliver.

You may have heard this phrase before, but there is a lot of truth to it. Clients love being amazed by what you can pull off, especially when it takes their projects, events, whatever to the next level. Know what you can reasonably do and if you are able to do more within the scope of budget and time, and go for it!

Be a problem solver.

When you are working on an event or project for a client, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Before you pick up the phone to call them, do you have a viable solution to offer? Your client is depending on you to have answers to problems when they arise. If you are only calling to tell them what’s gone wrong with no solution, your client may not be your client for long.

Your business is probably not the only company doing what you do. Keep your customer service expectations high and you will keep clients coming back for your services.