When you run a business.
It is entirely natural to seek out triggers.
Things ‘they’ do.
To help inform things ‘you’ do.
Especially the successful businesses.
(Whatever ‘successful’ means).
Because after all.
Successful businesses know what they’re doing.
Don’t they?
Karen.
Karen came to stay in one of our holiday studios.
Today.
Karen booked direct through our website.
Paid full price.
Turned up with her son Leon.
And inwardly and outwardly congratulated herself.
Dewy eyed and open mouthed.
To have chosen somewhere, ‘Just lovely’ for her and her 11 year old boy.
Karen.
Was happy.
Money.
After I’d shown Karen around.
I asked her a question I already knew the answer to.
I asked her how much she’d paid.
To stay with us, I mean.
Karen looked slightly concerned.
So I explained.
I explained that on the same day Karen booked to stay with us.
An article about our holiday studios had appeared in a local magazine.
Front cover, as it goes.
Karen hadn’t seen the magazine.
Or the article.
So Karen also hadn’t seen the voucher code we published inside.
The voucher code that would have saved her £85 on her stay.
Lisa.
As I told Karen that Lisa would be dropping £85 cash in to her on her way back from the shops.
Karen looked a little shocked.
And confused.
I was happy, though.
Because Karen was happy.
Hospitality.
Hospitality is a funny business.
Some bits come easy to me.
Innovation.
Ideas.
Surprises.
Creating spaces that welcome you in and make you feel special and cared for.
Immediately.
And over and over.
But this also makes me quite angry in many ways, too.
Because I’ve never been entirely happy with anywhere I’ve stayed.
Ever.
Because I always see so many opportunities for innovation.
Better ideas.
And surprises.
Opportunity that the busy owners or the busy people they employ either don’t care enough to want to do.
Or don’t have the time to do.
But either way.
It’s not good enough.
Because it’s boring.
And it’s samey.
And my life.
And your life.
Is far, far too short for boring and samey.
Do The Opposite.
The decision to give Karen £85 was easy.
Because I asked myself a simple question.
I asked myself what I thought every hotel, holiday let, cottage and caravan park I’d ever stayed with over the entire 50 years or so that I’ve been alive would do.
In the exact same circumstance.
Then.
I did the opposite.
Triggers.
When you run a business.
It is entirely natural to seek out triggers.
Things ‘they’ do.
To help inform things ‘you’ do.
Especially the successful businesses.
(Whatever ‘successful’ means).
Because after all.
Successful businesses know what they’re doing.
Don’t they?
