I just took a quick lunch break, and went deeper into a favorite book of mine, Zag, by Marty Neumeier. I won't bore you with the details, but it is a book about helping companies to establish a brand for themselves that are unique, and needed in the marketplace.A great example is on pages 77 -78. A Middle Eastern couple has a coffee shop that they run every day except for Christmas. (Geez and I thought I worked hard) They worked night and day to make sure that their customers were well taken care of; they gradually developed a loyal clientele by giving out loyalty cards, as well as anticipating what their customers needed before they even walked through the front door. For instance, if they saw a customer's car that they were familiar with, the customer's favorite drink would be created before he or she even walked through the door. Customers would get to know each other, and the place turned into a popular coffee bar.
Then September 11th hit.
Ironically, a Starbucks opened up on September 12 right across the street. You'd figure that "9/11", "Starbucks" and "Middle Eastern" converged to put an end to their customer base...but it wasn't so. As a matter of fact, there was a line around the street corner of people who were showing their support for the nice Middle Eastern family, who put their hard work into making their customers feel special.
It just goes to show how important it is for all of us to work hard to take care of the people we serve.
Ok, back to work. :-)
Tom Ossa
Rockland Web Design
(845) 271 - 4488
