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