Broken Windows - Everything Matters

So I’m standing in the hall anxious to get started.  I look over and see a short stocky man walking towards me.  He introduces himself with a firm handshake and an eastern European accent.   I look him up and down and hesitantly reply “Um…..Hi”

Why this reticent reaction to a perfectly lovely man?   Because he was going to be standing on my back for the next 70 minutes.   I had taken the plunge and signed up for the Ashiastu massage.  I was expecting a svelte Asian woman. But instead – I got Jovan.   True to form – my initial fears were unfounded.  Jovan had a wonderful touch (who knew toes could feel so much like hands) and my shoulders haven’t felt this good in years.     

There was something about the Golden Door Spa at The Boulders resort in Arizona that inspired confidence to try new things.    I was there on business – working on a project with the fabulous Michele Miller.    I was surprised at how much I thoroughly enjoyed The Boulders.  I came home rested and relaxed.  The same could not be said, however, for my credit card.  It is exhausted from over-exertion and in desperate need of some rest itself.  Last I saw it, it gave me a nasty look, said it had a headache and was heading to bed.  I do not think I’ll be charging anything again any time soon. 

So I was trying to figure out why I had such a positive experience at this place.  I’ve stayed in nice resorts before – why did this one stand out?   

As I was tallying up the reasons, I was reminded of a post in Brand Autopsy about the new book Broken Windows, Broken Business.

The theory is the same theory about fighting crime – little things left unfixed give the impression no one is in charge and no one cares.  Michael Levine applies that theory to business.  Here's what John Moore at Brand Autopsy had to say:

Michael Levine, author and media/PR expert, has just published a book, BROKEN WINDOWS BROKEN BUSINESS, applying the broken windows theory to business. Levine’s premise is that a broken window in business happens when someone isn’t paying attention to details. Levine writes,

"A broken window can be a sloppy counter, a poorly located sale item, a randomly organized menu, or an employee with a bad attitude. It can be physical, like a faded, flaking paint job, or symbolic, like a policy that requires consumers to pay for customer service.”

I believe this is vitally important, especially with your female customers.  Because of the wiring of their brain (more connections between the two hemispheres) and their traditional roles as caretakers and multi-taskers – women notice everything.  Even small things – good or bad.   If you want her business – everything matters, so you must pay attention to the details.

I think that’s why The Boulders impressed me so much – all things compared – the setting, rooms, amenities were on par with many other resorts I’ve visited.  What made it memorable and remarkable were all the little touches.

• Each night they provided a turn down service where they left a sample of a different Golden Door Spa product. One night it was a lavender oil, another a rejuvenation cream, another a lip balm.  I looked forward to coming back to my room to see what goodie they left me.  (also a wonderful opportunity to promote product sales by giving away these free samples)

• They charge you one fee daily that covers all tipping (except for meals and spa services)  At first – I wasn’t too crazy about this.  But after catching rides on the shuttle, or on their golf carts or bell people bringing you ice or extra firewood – it was actually nice not to have to worry what was the correct amount to tip and not to have to worry about having cash on you. 

• When you play golf – rental clubs come with two free sleeves of balls and the starter prepares a to go cup of fresh lemon ice water and puts it in your cart for you.

• The cactus plants that decorate the interior lodge all have name tags that tell you what kind of cactus plant it is.  Same with many of the plants along the walkways.  This my sound strange to some people – but for a “constantly- learning” geek like me I loved knowing what the different cacti (it is cacti not cactuses – right?) were and what plants I was admiring.

• They never made you wait – there were tons of help running round with earpieces a la secret service.  They constantly called one another so there was never a long wait to get a shuttle bus or a golf cart to one of the property restaurants or to get someone to help with your bags. 

• Everyone was nice.  Everyone.   People who answered the phones – the guy who fixed a blown fuse – the yoga instructors – the guy who came to build a fire every day – even the wild boar who were enjoying their dinner of fresh fairway grass were unperturbed by my only decent drive of the day that nearly took one out, and did not slap each other on the back and laugh when I hit my next ball into the water.   Even the resort animals were courteous.

All those seemingly small, often simple things were what added up to a superior experience.   Women notice everything.   If you’re doing something wrong – fix it immediately.  It’s making a bigger impact than you think.   And if you really want to be remarkable – try doing a little something extra – those little things can add up to a big difference to your bottom line.

Wow – crick in the neck from too much time at the computer – wonder if Jovan makes house calls.   

Comments

[Michele Miller]

Awesome post, Holly. This is the perfect experience that relates how every tiny thing registers in a woman's mind. You will be including this post in the you-know-what, right?

Even the smallest touches can make a world of difference. I'm reminded of the Delta Winnipeg Hotel, which surprised me with toasty warm (heated) bathroom floors and a simple card placed on my pillow each night, telling me what the weather report was for the next day. That little item alone has had me talking about the hotel for more than a year now, and will certainly be my destination of choice when I return there.

[Javierprado]

This may sound weird, but my art teacher used to do it all the time.He told me that he would call up the bus stoatin people (I guess the city transit department) and ask them if he could collect any broken glass that they had picked up/are going to pick up from damaged bus shelters.You can try it..it worked for him!