To some people a hotel is a hotel is a hotel. In fact, many people have actually told us that since all hotels pretty much offer the same bed and bath combination, it doesn’t matter which one you choose.
We beg to differ.
After spending the night with several thousand cockroaches we know that where you stay matters. And it matters a lot. Hoteliers know this, and the race is on to see how they can out-serve their customers. According an article in Vanity Fair magazine, “Hotels are a lifestyle statement. In the 21st century, the hotel you stay in says more about you than cash ever can.” Hmmm. Interesting thought.
Maybe that’s why hoteliers are going to extraordinary lengths to out-do each other. Many offer lovely accommodations, and beyond the call of duty customer care, but some are taking it a step further. Take the Hotel Preston in
So if hotels have become lifestyle statements, it’s no wonder so many of them now allow you to take their rooms home. No, you can’t steal the towels, but you can buy a set of your own. Almost all top drawer hotels are selling their wares on-site and on-line. The Westin Hotels feature their trademark “Heavenly Beds”, a detriment to the business world because once you get in one, you never want to get up and go to work. Now you can buy your own Heavenly Bed, Heavenly Bath and more at http://www.whotelsthestore.com
q Build a craft or crop room in the corner of your store. Make it a working display so that customer’s can take it for a “test drive.” Create a list of the components used to build your work center along with a price for each one. Have order forms available at the checkout counter.
q Add a design center to your website. Set up various sample craft rooms and photograph each one individually. Customers who visit your website will be able to peruse the pages and choose the configuration that works best for their home. These photos, coupled with the ability to order the product on-line, will give you the perception of being a full service store, even if you’re not.
q Do customers like those cushy, ergonomic chairs in your classroom? Even if you bought them at the local office supply store, there’s nothing that prevents you from picking up a few more for a customer who’d like to buy one of her own.
q Contact your various vendors and get all the information on minimums, shipping information, etcetera, so you will have it on hand when a customer inquires about purchasing an item.
q Hold a “Design a Craft Room” contest. One of the rules must be that some of the furnishings and components were purchased at your store. Ask entrants to bring in 8X10” photos of their rooms, then assign each one a number, and hang them throughout your store. The winner will be determined by popular vote. The prize should be something that ties the customer to your store: a year of free classes, crops or a store gift certificate.
q Create custom specialty kits with your store’s name on them – a little bit of your store’s magic to take home! You can do them seasonally or by theme. Make a sample of “Your Name Here’s Mardi Gras Crop in a Box”, and sell the kits in your store and on your website. You can make a single display sample and build the kits as you sell them. You can even elect to place a disclaimer on your sample kit that states “some merchandise substitutions may occur” so that you don’t have to hold product by building your boxes in advance.
Your list of opportunities is endless! Customers who visit your store have probably dreamed about having class or crop room just like yours in their home. Why not help them make that happen and make some extra cash at the same time?
© KIZER & BENDER 2005 . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
