Yesterday I spent an enjoyable morning with my sick three-year-old. During our time together we went to Starbucks, Target, Pediatrics in the Park and Chic-fil-A. At each of these businesses I noted incredible attention to detail that made it easier for me to either spend more money or look forward to my next visit.
The Starbucks we visited had an outdoor patio that the staff sprays down and cleans every night at 9:00. I know because I've been there several times while they've done it. At night it seems like overkill but in the morning when you walk onto that beautifully clean and sparkling patio it's genius. Outdoor areas are some of the most neglected for small businesses. What does your parking lot or sidewalk look like? You're numb to it because you see it everyday, but your customers get their first impression before they even step foot through the door.
The pediatricians office was spectacular. Forget about the vintage 80's arcade games in the lobby (Lance is surprisingly good at Frogger). What was impressive to me was the examination room. It was brightly painted with a 360 degree animal mural, but very sparsely furnished. There were two chairs, a custom examination table with a cabinet in one pedestal leg and a wastebasket in the other and a wooden puzzle mounted to the wall. This may not seem like a big deal until you experience it from the perspective of a 3-year-old gifted by God with an ability to cause trouble. There were no trash cans to get into. No toys to knock off tables. No glass jars full of cotton balls. No blinds to tangle. Just one tactile puzzle that got his attention and kept it until the doctor arrived. And the entire space, being easy to clean, was unsurprisingly spotless.
Target did one simple thing that made me want to kiss the person that came up with it. On the top of each hanger they've placed a little plastic tag with the pants size. No more digging through clothing racks, knocking stuff off the hanger and contorting to see the tag on a back of a pair of pants. The whole effect is one of complete order making it easy to find what you want before frustration sets in.
Chic-fil-A might as well be called "Pre-schooler Land" between 11:30 and 1:00. As we sat down to eat an employee followed us to the table, unwrapped a hermetically sealed placemat and stuck it to the table in front of Lance. For dad's like me this is no big deal, but for all you wet-wipe-toting, hand-sanitizer-squirting clean freaks out there this is huge. As soon as we were done with lunch our table was sprayed down and wiped clean, ready for the next parent staggering in for fifteen minutes of peace and quiet.
Cleanliness has been next to godliness since Poor Richard, but I think it might also be fairly acquainted with profits. Each of the three national chains mentioned above is well noted for above average profits and customer loyalty. Cleanliness and order are results of business processes that are carried out as a discipline everyday. Understand, cleanliness and order are not market differentiators in and of themselves. They are hallmarks of businesses that follow processes for everything from cleaning patios to greeting customers. Within process lies the ability to create a consistent experience for your customers. I know I need to get better at this as a business owner, and yesterday it was good to see things from the other side of the counter. Love your customers enough to build processes around their experience. They will thank you for it. I did.
