I am always blown away by the positive power that small, trivial, even seemingly meaningless gestures can have. Recently I was craving a carnitas burrito from Chipotle. Yeah, I know, I know, Chipotle is basically junk food and does not help my efforts to eat healthy. But, after fighting off the urge for the better part of a week, I finally broke down and went.
I placed my order and started down the assembly line…tortilla, rice, pinto beans, then…disaster. I was told that they were temporarily out of carnitas, and that it would be a 5-7 minute wait. Ok, no problem, I can hang tight. I’m not like Cartman craving KFC. But, then, (hint, this is the small gesture part) without even hesitating the girl behind the counter handed me a free soda and apologized for the wait. Huh?!? Quality service from a quick dining establishment? Most places would just say tough luck and make you wait in the corner. So what did Chipotle get for maybe .8 cents worth of water and Coke syrup? Increased brand loyalty, free word of mouth, and this blog post. Pretty cheap way for them to advertise, burnish their reputation, earn repeat business and stick it to Taco Del Mar. As they always say, the little things can make a big difference.
A side note, the Holmes on Homes post is still coming. In the process of writing and re-writing it has morphed into a multi-part series about how to evaluate potential business relationships. The first part of which will be up soon.
All the best,
John
