Giving your stakeholders the wins that they want is the key to retention. I read a great article by the travel writer Peter Greenberg, How to Avoid Staying in a Filthy Hotel Room.
By the way, do you know the No. 1 dirtiest thing in a hotel room? I didn't - it's the remote control. (Take a box of disinfectant wipes with you and wipe it, the door knobs telephone, clock, etc.)
Peter talks about how a hotel makes him a loyal customer. It's all about anticipating his needs and following through to meet them. "It's called service. And there's a sure-fire way to determine if your hotel really is service-oriented. I call it my Diet Coke test.
Here’s how it works: Ask for any carbonated soft drink at a bar, and chances are it comes out of the “gun.” It's either too syrupy, overly carbonated or has an aftertaste of another brand of soda. It’s much better to be served a drink that comes from a can or a bottle.
Several years ago, I stayed in a Ritz-Carlton and asked the waitress for a can of Diet Coke. She insisted that it wasn’t possible because sodas were served from that gun dispenser. When I pointed out that there must be cans of Diet Coke in the vending machines and for room service, she grudgingly got me one.
Compare that to a freezing night I spent at a Best Western in Canada. When I ordered a can of Diet Coke at that hotel’s coffee shop, the waitress asked me to wait, put on her coat, crossed four lanes of highway traffic to the convenience store, and bought me a six-pack of soda. Which one of these hotels do you think is worth five stars in my book?"
I love this story. If you can deliver a personal "win" to a donor, Board Member or volunteer, you have earned their loyalty.
Here are some from a recent Advancing Philanthropy article:
Be creative! One ballet sends note cards with photos of the ballerina's holding cards with letters spelling "THANK YOU."
Make memories! Have the students at your school create special artwork, cook a meal, spend time with the donor at "story time."
We're conducting a contest to find the best "out of the box" win you've delivered to a stakeholder. Send me your ideas via our website. The contest closes soon and we're offering $50 gift cards to our winners!
By the way, do you know the No. 1 dirtiest thing in a hotel room? I didn't - it's the remote control. (Take a box of disinfectant wipes with you and wipe it, the door knobs telephone, clock, etc.)
Peter talks about how a hotel makes him a loyal customer. It's all about anticipating his needs and following through to meet them. "It's called service. And there's a sure-fire way to determine if your hotel really is service-oriented. I call it my Diet Coke test.
Here’s how it works: Ask for any carbonated soft drink at a bar, and chances are it comes out of the “gun.” It's either too syrupy, overly carbonated or has an aftertaste of another brand of soda. It’s much better to be served a drink that comes from a can or a bottle.
Several years ago, I stayed in a Ritz-Carlton and asked the waitress for a can of Diet Coke. She insisted that it wasn’t possible because sodas were served from that gun dispenser. When I pointed out that there must be cans of Diet Coke in the vending machines and for room service, she grudgingly got me one.
Compare that to a freezing night I spent at a Best Western in Canada. When I ordered a can of Diet Coke at that hotel’s coffee shop, the waitress asked me to wait, put on her coat, crossed four lanes of highway traffic to the convenience store, and bought me a six-pack of soda. Which one of these hotels do you think is worth five stars in my book?"
I love this story. If you can deliver a personal "win" to a donor, Board Member or volunteer, you have earned their loyalty.
Here are some from a recent Advancing Philanthropy article:
Be creative! One ballet sends note cards with photos of the ballerina's holding cards with letters spelling "THANK YOU."
Make memories! Have the students at your school create special artwork, cook a meal, spend time with the donor at "story time."
We're conducting a contest to find the best "out of the box" win you've delivered to a stakeholder. Send me your ideas via our website. The contest closes soon and we're offering $50 gift cards to our winners!
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