[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] From a record label to an airline, credit cards, phone services, and even healthcare, Virgin’s famous for their wide range of […]
Newsletter #1026: The “Lessons from Virgin Hotels” Issue
February 26, 2015
Help your guests feel welcome
September 21, 2013
A little sign turns a random visit into a special occasion. Put a visitor’s name by the front door and they’ll know you care. And, just maybe, they’ll be in a better mood and you’ll get a better result from the meeting. The little things matter.
Newsletter #925: The “Lessons from America’s Most Remarkable Gas Station” Issue
February 21, 2013
[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] If you’re on a road trip in Texas, chances are you’ll hear about Buc-ee’s (pronounced “Bucky’s”). This gas station franchise has […]
Ending it badly
September 23, 2012
You have a great stay in a hotel. You ask the doorman for a cab. Instead, he brings around a private car, with no meter, probably unlicensed — and usually with ripoff pricing. Obviously the doorman is taking a payoff. The customer gets screwed. Honest cabbies get screwed. And the last thing the customer remembers […]
$5 to make hundreds of customers happy
July 7, 2012
A simple $5 power-outlet splitter in a hotel room makes life easier for hundreds of travelers who stay there. Why doesn’t every airport and hotel invest $500 and create 100 power stations like this? Travelers would be much less stressed, which would make it easier on everyone — especially the staff who has to deal […]
How a $4 fee costs a company $4,000
June 27, 2012
You’ve heard this story before: New York hotel charges a $4 fee to receive an overnight envelope for a guest. And they won’t bring it up to the guest room. And they’re rude about it. So the guest moves an upcoming family vacation to another hotel (3 rooms x 7 nights). And the guest’s spouse […]
What if every customer boldly announced their arrival at your business?
June 9, 2012
Hotels used to give us stationery and postcards. Millions of people would write home and say, “I chose this hotel.” I’m glad to see La Quinta bring it back. Classic word of mouth. Even better, classic word of mouth that is genuine, easy, and inexpensive. Foursquare and other social media check-in apps have the same […]
Why does the hotel give you a shoeshine cloth?
May 23, 2012
It’s not something most people use, and it’s not something most people ask for. It’s so you don’t polish your shoes with the nice towels. This little cloth replaces an unwanted behavior with a better one. And it works a lot better than a mean sign demanding that you don’t polish your shoes with the […]
InterContinental Hotel Group’s case study: How we created a private community for our biggest fans, presented by Nick Ayres
April 21, 2011
Come to an upcoming BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media conference in Washington, D.C. or San Francisco to hear brands like ConAgra Foods, the IRS, USA TODAY, Adobe, SAP, the U.S. Navy, and Mattel share 8 great case studies on corporate social media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make […]
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