Lots of businesses rave about "going the extra mile". Few do. In reality, just a few inches are often more than enough to differentiate your small business from the competition. A couple of travel examples from a recent trip to Japan illustrate this. The Westin Osaka is a great hotel to stay in. It's clean, and fairly new. The price is right. We'd call the Westin a nicely packaged hotel. But what really makes the Westin special are the barely seen little extras Westin staff provide. There is a shuttle to the Osaka train station--pretty standard in large hotels in Japan, where trains are one's best bet for transportation. But at the Westin the bus driver immediately sets a small stool out for the passengers to alight on when they get on or off the bus. That little footstool isn't very tall--just eight extra inches-but it makes a difference in two important ways. First, it physically makes it easier to move onto the bus. Second, it makes the rider feel just a bit special; somebody is actually taking the time and effort to make their lives a tad easier. The Century Hyatt in Tokyo is a few years older than the Westin Osaka, but their staff also knows the value of going the extra inch for a customer. Recently a perspiring guest, just returning from an early morning summer run, walked across the lobby to pick up the room key he had left at the drop box at the front desk. The desk clerk handed the guest the key and also a small hand towel. Of course, one expects a towel at the hotel gym, but not at the front counter. Now, the guest didnt ask for the towel; he hadn't even thought about how nice it would be to have a towel until he felt the six comfortable inches of terrycloth against his hot brow on a June morning and was reminded of why he kept coming back to this hotel after so many years. Smart marketers soon realize that it's employees who go the extra inch for the customer. And it's employees who can identify just when and where to expend those extra inches. Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success. 2006 Marketing Hawks |
