Customer as Emperor

From Japan comes the tradition of oshibori.example, Entrees Made Easy provides the
Oshibori is the Japanese word for therolled up hotingredientsand recipes for several meals to its
towel you receive after eating at an authenticcustomers making it easy and quick for them
Japanese restaurant or atthe conclusion of antocreate great tasting home cooked meals. The
international flight. If you have never experiencedconcept is new, innovative, andneeded in today's
a hot towelafter a long flight, it is as close as youhectic world. Those that try it can't wait to tell
can get to a refreshing shower in the comfortoftheir friends.
your seat with all your clothes on. What does itThankfully, an innovative new concept isn't the
have to do with growing yourbusiness? It'sonly way to be remarkable. The sadfact is that
remarkable.good service is so rare, any company that does
As noted, you might expect a hot towel in aprovide it is remarkable. Iread just yesterday in a
Japanese restaurant or on a flight buthow about incolumn by John DiJulius about Cameron Mitchell
the dentist chair just after the hygienist hasRestaurants
stretched your mouth intounnatural shapes to(27 restaurants in 7 states). What I read wasn't
chisel that last piece of plaque from your teeth?about their food or their concept
Nice and warm,with the light sent of lemon--that(though with further research I learned both are
would be remarkable wouldn't it? How mightamazing). What I read about wastheir customer
thatchange what you tell your friends about yourservice. They seem to realize that indeed the
trip to the dentist? Simple thing. Onlycosts a fewcustomer is theemperor and the emperor doesn't
cents. But it could lead to a number of referrals.like to be told "no." Their promise: "The
What would yourcustomers tell their friends if youanswer'syes..now what's the question?" Given their
gave them a hot towel?growth, I think their customers rememberthat
According to Jason Stark of White Towelkind of service and find it remarkable enough to
Services, the majority of his customerstell their friends.
aredentists. Dentists that understand that fillingStill wondering what is remarkable about your
your cavity is a commodity--any oneof abusiness? Here is a suggestion: askyour
thousand dentists could it. But having a remarkablecustomers. Ask them if they would recommend
experience in their office--that is something thatyou to a friend and if so why?
nobody can compete with.Then listen carefully.
So what do your customers remember aboutHow ever you figure it out, do it quickly. Being
your business? Do they experiencesomethingremarkable is not just a good idea--it is absolutely
remarkable enough to tell their friends about? Forrequired for any business to both survive and
some businesses itmight be their concept. Forgrow.