Remember when Main Street businesses were locally owned and operated? Owners knew their customers by name as well as their shopping habits, and most were usually willing to get a product in for their customers even if they didn't typically carry it. Unfortunately, with the advent of the Internet and big-box stores, that type of personal attention now seems a thing of the past.

Get to Know Your Customers Day is a day to turn things around by encouraging business owners to get to know a little more about their customers and make each of them feel as if they're the most important customer of the day.

Here are a few tips for getting to know your customers better:

Strike up a get-to-know-you conversation with them. Once you know where they live, what they do for a living, how many children or pets they have, and what they enjoy doing for fun, you can create customer profiles-which will allow you to provide a more personalized experience to each individual. And let them get to know you. Tell them why you love the business you're in and the community you serve. Let your customers know you're their neighbor.

Social media is a great tool to find out what customers think about your store. Use it to get the word out about special sales, new products, and services. Even if you can't interact with customers face-to-face, if you respond as quickly as possible to email messages and social media posts, they will notice it-which can translate into greater customer loyalty.

Hold a customer appreciation event. Invite customers to stop by during designated hours for refreshments, special discounts, prizes, and casual conversation. Essentially, throw a party in your customers' honor.

If a live event isn't doable, nothing beats a sincere "Thank you" for opening the lines of communication with a customer. Send a card or email, or even give them a phone call and say, "We appreciate your business and welcome your feedback."