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Small Business Marketing Tip - Employees Who Go the Extra Inch

Lots of businesses rave about "going thevalue of going the extra inch for a customer.
extra mile". Few do.In reality, just a fewRecently a perspiring guest, just returning
inches are often more than enough tofrom an early morning summer run, walked
differentiate your small business from theacross the lobby to pick up the room key he
competition. A couple of travel examples fromhad left at the drop box at the front desk.
a recent trip to Japan illustrate this.TheThe 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 isexpects a towel at the hotel gym, but not at
right. We'd call the Westin a nicely packagedthe front counter. Now, the guest didn't ask
hotel.But what really makes the Westinfor the towel; he hadn't even thought about
special are the barely seen little extrashow nice it would be to have a towel until he
Westin staff provide. There is a shuttle tofelt the six comfortable inches of terrycloth
the Osaka train station--pretty standard inagainst his hot brow on a June morning and
large hotels in Japan, where trains are one'swas reminded of why he kept coming back to
best bet for transportation. But at thethis hotel after so many years.Smart
Westin the bus driver immediately sets amarketers soon realize that it's employees
small stool out for the passengers to alightwho go the extra inch for the customer. And
on when they get on or off the bus. Thatit's employees who can identify just when and
little footstool isn't very tall--just eightwhere to expend those extra inches.Remember:
extra inches-but it makes a difference in twoBrand (who you are) + Package (your Face to
important ways. First, it physically makes itthe Customer) + People (customers and
easier to move onto the bus. Second, it makesemployees) = Marketing Success.© 2006
the rider feel just a bit special; somebodyMarketing HawksCraig Lutz-Priefert is
is actually taking the time and effort toPresident of Marketing Hawks, a firm
make their lives a tad easier.The Centuryproviding essential marketing vision for
Hyatt in Tokyo is a few years older than thesmall business.
Westin Osaka, but their staff also knows the



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