By Dave Balch
Have you ever been to a Chinese restaurant? Of course you
have! And did you ever take your leftovers home?
Naturally! Did they give you extra rice? Hmmmmm...
Frankly, to me, that's what "separates the men from the
boys" in the Chinese food category. At our favorite Chinese
restaurant they ALWAYS give us extra rice with our
leftovers. You're probably wondering, "Why is this so
important"?
I'm getting there.
Think about it. You have ordered several plates of food,
they bring rice on the side (usually complimentary, along
with the tea), and you dig in. When you just can't eat any
more, you call for the containers and they box it up. Maybe
there's just a little rice left, barely enough to fill a
container, but you can't eat your Chinese leftovers without
rice, can you? So you ask for that as well. If there is
just a little rice left in the bowl, they pack it up. But
if they are on the ball, they will fill that container with
extra rice so you'll have enough for your re-heated meal.
Or, better yet, they'll fill the container with fresh rice!
It's thoughtful. It's good service. It's an unexpected
bonus for you, the customer. And it's practically free for
the restaurant. If you ask me, it's a no-brainer way to
give customers added value at virtually no cost. If we are
taking a dish that has a special sauce that's served
separately, they include extra sauce, too. Again, more,
unexpected, added value at no measurable cost.
How can you adapt this model for your business? How can you
add value, surprise your customers with it, and do it at
practically no cost to you? Even if there is a cost
involved, maybe it's worth it. Only you can decide that,
but think about it! How do others do this?
Amazon.com sends out free bookmarks with every book. A
local appliance store includes a free box of laundry
detergent with every washer, a box of static-reducers with
every dryer, and a box of dishwashing detergent with every
dishwasher. Whenever I get my car serviced, they wash it
before I pick it up. When we use the drive- thru at our
local McDonald's and they see a dog in the car, they give us
a dog biscuit. A movie theater gives free popcorn after you
have attended a certain number of movies.
My challenge to you is this: come up with something extra
that you can give your customers to add value to whatever
you do. If you're already doing this, how can you make or
do it even better?
But how do you come up with these ideas? Here are some
ways:
1. Ask your customers (too easy)!
2. Have a brainstorming session with other business owners,
and help each other come up with ideas.
3. Research what others do, and adapt what you like for your
own situation. Get creative! Give extra rice and extra
sauce too; you will stand out from the crowd.
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