Chapter 4

Brilliant at the Basics

No amount of mints on the pillow willbring back a guest whose bathroomwas dirty or whose television didn’t work.

– Roger Dow, Marriott Corporation

The Pro knows that to impress customers you must begin with the basics. Trying to add value for customers is a waste of time when you don’t get the basics right—all the time. Consider the attraction of Federal Express’s value added tracking system if they were late 25 percent of the time? The customer doesn’t value using a tracking system that often! Long-term success depends on being in touch with the fundamental things that influence whether or not a customer will continue doing business with you.

Getting the basics of what customers are promised—right product, right ...

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