The hotel concierge is a pretty cool person…
Now you aren’t going to even see a concierge at a Red Roof Inn. That isn’t what Red Roof is selling, but maybe it should be.
If you have been at a hotel with a concierge, a good concierge, you can probably recall just how helpful that person was. Although a typical concierge might simply hook you up with golf reservations, the location of the best sushi spot in town or something like that, a great concierge is quite simply a problem-solver extraordinaire.
They know everything and generally if you have a need, they’ll find a way to fulfill it. That is their job. Which in my mind makes them the COO of the place because that is exactly what the COO should be doing. If you don’t have a COO, then it should be the person with the power to make any decision that affects your customers. In some cases this is the owner. The point is, SOMEONE needs to be your business’ concierge with broad powers and resources to resolve problems, connect your customers with people they want to meet and generally be the person your customer first thinks of when a need, problem or desire comes up.
Imagine the retention, the referrals and the standing with your customers you would have if they thought to call you first when there was say a potential customer for them that they are seeing if you know and can introduce them to. That means they believe you are connected and a resource for them, And by God, you should do what you can to find that person and make some sort of introduction if you can.
To have concierge-type power, to have a concierge-centric business, you need to be connected. If for no other reason, this is why you network, why you use Linked-In, why you maintain a database of contacts for just about anything someone might need. This goes all the way to knowing a good plumber, a good divorce attorney or the location of the nearest RMV. Until your customer start calling you for things that go beyond what you are selling them, then you have room to grow and improve your standing with them.
Success in the new world of business is about adding value constantly to your customer relationships. This value add should also extend to your referral sources and contacts for obvious reasons.
Be a concierge and make their stay with you one to remember!
Larry
