$200 for a 20¢ Cookie?

I overheard a very interesting conversation recently. Two women were talking about which hotel they should stay at during their next vacation. The two hotels they were contemplating were both 5-star hotels in a location that had to have charged $200 per night.

"I really like the Such-and-Such Hotel" said the first lady.

"Me too," said her friend. "But, the Hotel So-and-So has those free cookies in the lobby."

"OH-MY-GOSH! I totally forgot about that! Yes, you're right. We have to stay at the So-and-So."

And just like THAT, a several hundred dollar decision was made based on less than 20¢ worth of cookie dough.

Whoa!That's pretty amazing if you think about it, isn't it? How little, tiny, insignificant things can not only be the icing on the cake, they can actually be the entire reason for buying the cake. And ironically enough the details often don't seem (on the surface) to have anything to do with the actual product or service being sold.

Face it, in what way does fresh baked chocolate chip cookies reflect the quality of a hotel? The cookie dough was bought frozen from Otis Spunkmeyer and baked in a little toaster oven that automatically turns off at the right time to avoid any mistakes. It shows no real skill, no insight into culinary adventure, and offers no clue as to the comfort of the beds, or the amenities one pays for in a hotel.

But it is a critical clue in the essence of hotel management. It is a symbol of "hospitality". It tells the guests that they are welcome members of a family. "Here," the cookies say without words "Reach into the cookie jar and help yourself. Just like at Grandma's house"

The cookies strike a nostalgic reflection to warmer times in more comfortable settings.

Yes, everyone loves fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, but that's not really the point. The point is not the cookies themselves as much as it is what they represent at a more visceral level.

What little, tiny, inexpensive things can you do that will make a difference in the experiences of your customers and clients? What is it that you sell, at the core? If you think hotels sell beds and a TV then you might have no idea why anyone would stay at any hotel other than a Motel 6.

Q: Why would a person pay $200 a night (or more) for a bed and a TV?
A: Hospitality.

The question you need to ask is "What do I REALLY sell?" and then figure out the answer. Once you do, THEN you need to figure out how you can better demonstrate that, elevate that, and package that for your customers and clients.Little things mean a lot.

--Julian Franklin

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