A customer has asked me to go the extra mile. Do I have to discount?

Last week I had an experience well worth sharing, because I sense it’s where businesses need to be over the next period of time.

My friend Harry and I were in Daylesford, the spa resort near Melbourne – a very pretty part of the world fortunately unaffected by the fires.

I saw a sign outside the RSL club – a typical country “returned servicemens” club building – a little worse for wear but a sort of friendliness about it. The sign read “Lunch for $10” – not a sign you see a lot in the city, except outside those fast food places.

I suggested we stop and eat there; pending a glance at the menu of course.

Inside was exactly the scene you would expect – a bar surrounded by old timers drinking beer and watching sport on Foxtel down the back of what was essentially a hall – there was a restaurant that was furnished in 60s style, and I don’t mean it had been retro-furnished yesterday – the furniture had been there a long time.

However the menu looked good and we ordered fish and chips – which turned out to be delicious and a huge plate of food – but what followed was even more surprising.

When the credit card was returned it was inside a lovely card, and handwritten inside the card was: “It’s never crowded along the extra mile”. On the other inside page was written “thank you!!”.

I asked to speak to the owner to see whose idea this was and she, Sarah, came over to talk to us about how long she had had the business and how she had this idea of leaving everyone who came to her restaurant feeling good.

She told us she hand writes cards every day and gives them out with each bill paid.

Here was a great example of someone prepared to spend a little on a card, for a $10 meal.

I have been given less for $100 meals, and then no thank you.

I was to say the least impressed, and have told this story to everyone I have spoken to since.

It made me think about the value of leaving an impression on one’s customers and how the good or bad word spreads.

Australian businesses are so focused on discounting but so unfocused on the “extra mile”, which at least for some customers has more of an impact and is less costly for the business.

The problem with discounting is that there is no end to it, and it does not distinguish your business. Extra thoughts and service do. In fact it happens so rarely that I was astounded by it.

What extra mile could you go, to impact positively on your customers?

What could you do to cost effectively set you apart?

Perhaps a “thank you” to your clients/customers would be a good start.

To read more Marcia Griffin expert advice, click here.

Marcia’s latest book, High Heeled Success (pictured left), is a frank account of building a business from a solitary sales person to a multi-million dollar business with 4700 sales consultants around Australia and New Zealand. Contact Marcia to purchase. Marcia’s latest venture is skin care company griffin+row.

Got a question for one of our Experts? Choose one that suits your area of inquiry and send it in to asktheexperts@smartcompany.com.au