Lately I’ve been reading The E-myth Revisited.  While this is a fantastic book for all business owners and is full of knowledge, there’s one particular story that really struck me.

The author tells a story of his hotel stay at a small quaint lodge located near the Pacific Coast on a particularly cold night and after a long day of travel.

As he checks into his room at the front desk, he notices that the hotel is warm, comfortable and inviting.  He unloads his bags into the room, and heads down to the connected restaurant – also a warm and inviting place.

He was quickly seated (since this particular restaurant actually respects reservations), and after a delicious dinner and a pleasant chat with his waiter, he heads back to his room.

Along the way, he notices that the lights along the path had been turned up to compensate for the darkness of night.

Upon arrival in the room, he had planned to start a fire to keep warm – but someone had already beaten him to it!  The pillows had been plumped and a mint rested on each one.

He noticed a card from the friendly receptionist welcoming him for his first night at the hotel.   Along with the card was a glass of brandy – the same as he had ordered at the restaurant.

Compassion Through Attention to Detail

The following morning he awoke to a strange sound perking in the bathroom – upon inspection, he found another card – this time wishing him a good morning and a note that the coffee brewing next to him (automatically triggered by a timer) was his favorite brand.

How in the world would they have known?   He quickly remembered that at dinner the night before they had asked what brand of coffee he preferred – yet so casually that he hadn’t thought twice about it!

Upon pouring a cup of coffee, he was greeted by a knock on the door.  As he opened, he spotted his local newspaper – The New York Times.   How did they even know he was local to NY, as this hotel was across the country?  Aha – he remembered that the receptionist had inquired about his favorite paper upon checking in.

After such a fantastic experience, the author returned to the hotel many times.  With each visit, he was greeted with exactly the same hospitality and attention to detail – without ever needing to remind them of his preferences.

How Can We Apply This To Our Business?

Customers love and expect consistency and attention to detail.  McDonalds is not one of the most successful businesses in the world due to it’s quality of food products – it’s successful because McDonalds has developed an amazing system to provide customers with nearly the exact same super-detailed speedy service anywhere in the world at any time of day.

Today, as solo-preneurs and small business owners, we have tools to create this type of system in our business to provide a consistent and enjoyable experience for our customers.

Combining the power of a CRM, automated and well-thought-out emails, customized yet automatic promotions for complementary product offers – we can develop a system that truly suits the customer and nurtures a strong relationship.

Through intelligent data collection, we can pay attention to what our customers REALLY want – and hand it to them on a silver platter without even officially asking.  This kind of interaction shows them that we care about them and their needs – which is what everyone truly wants deep down.

Look at the success of a company like Zappos, who built their brand by focusing on 100% Wow-ing the customer.  It works!

What customer service tweaks have you tried in your business, and what results have you noticed?  Leave your comments below.