Today, I gladly pay the premium price for a good product and a distinctive experience. Organizations that understand the value of a exceptional experience are destined for success.
Do I think that the teenage cashiers at the local food mart should start singing happy birthday when they check my ID on my special day? No, that's not a good idea at all, but there are other ways to create memorable experiences.
Maybe the good ol' days shouldn't be so old.
What's old is new, right? Why not try to address customers by their names? Now, that's a novel idea. And it shouldn't be too hard.
But you - the manager, the super-visor, the owner - must constantly motivate and encourage everyonein the company to remember those frequent customers. That means it has to start with you.
I mentioned that I had traveled a lot. When I used to visit New York, I would stay at a certain hotel. It wasn't part of a chain.
The elevators were slow, the rooms were small - even by New York standards - and the only exercise facilities were the stairs. But what I liked was the hotel's meet and greet.
All the bellhops had wireless headsets, and when they grabbed my luggage from the car, they would ask my name and welcome me and then say my name.
They would then escort me to the receptionist's desk.
