This morning my wife and I were in Downtown Portland doing some Christmas shopping. In front of the Westin Hotel , we saw three bellmen and asked them where we could find coffee. One said, "Well, the closest place is just down the block but the coffee isn't too good. If you want something better, I suggest that you walk a couple of blocks to Peet's Coffee." His two colleagues nodded their heads in enthusiastic agreement.
As we enjoyed our tasty coffees, we talked about the huge amount of business the cafe near the Westin must be losing because the bellmen were referring folks to Peet's. We have no idea whether it was bad service or poor coffee that convinced them to refer java seekers to Peet's.
How many businesses lose tremendous amounts of money or go under because people who have tried their products or services are so turned off that they decide to refer others elsewhere? When you never know how much impact that next person you serve may make on your business, the best strategy is simply to offer consistently great service and products.
