The Small Things That Make a Big Difference

Last month I had a problem with my Sony Vaio laptop. The touchpad was knackered and needed replacing. A couple of emails back and forth with Sony Support and they arranged to pick it up, repair it and deliver it back to me. When I opened the package at first I thought they’d given me a new laptop – it looked brand new. The screen and chassis was spotlessly clean. A little note fluttered out saying that whilst  they had my laptop  they took the opportunity to give it a thorough clean.

It would have taken them a few minutes to clean it and the cost would have been pennies, not pounds. But the good will it bought from me was priceless. It’s re-affirmed my love of all things Sony.

We’re off to Peterborough tonight to stay with my sister for the weekend so she can meet our new baby and we can meet hers (quite appropriate for a blog post talking about small things that make a big difference!). My wifes car was due a service so we though it’d be a good idea to get it done before the long drive to Peterborough. 

Using an authorised Mercedes dealership was bound to cost more than the local garage, but it should help retain it’s value when we come to sell it. Considering we were paying £400 for the service, I really thought they’d give the car a quick clean – even if just the outside. It would only have cost them a couple of quid. But they didn’t.

That was a great opportunity for them to do a small thing that would have made a big difference, but they missed it.

All interesting (or not) anecdotal stuff. But if you’re running a business it has practical implications too. What small things can you do in your business that cost you close to nothing but give your customers a warm fuzzy feeling? It’s certainly something I’ll be thinking about over the weekend in between changing nappies.

I’ve just realised that this post could be summarised as “My house is full of Sony stuff and I’m away for the weekend”. Hmmm.