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