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Always Sweat the Small Stuff

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Skillful execution of the things that matter is one of the success principles I stress in my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations.

"The things that matter" are the key words in the preceding statement. The things that matter vary from business to business. A case study I'd like to discuss today is Cucina Colore, an Italian restaurant in Cherry Creek North in Denver.

What matters in a restaurant? Good food and good service certainly. But these days, good food and good service are a given for any restaurant just to remain in business. The food at Cucina Colore is delicious and the service is great.

However, attention is detail is what sets this restaurant apart from its competition. The dining room, while simply decorated, is immaculate. Water, iced tea glasses and coffee cups are refilled promptly. The managers are always on the floor, greeting customers and monitoring the service.

The other day, my wife Cathy and I had a late lunch there prior to her taking me to the airport. As we were leaving, I saw another example of attention to detail. The lunch rush was over. The hostess had a stack of the lunch menus (which are in very nice folders). She was wiping down each one - inside and out. I don't know about you, but I never like a restaurant that has menus with food left over from other customers. Wiping menus to make sure they are clean for the next day's lunch service - a small thing but an example of excellent attention to detail.

Here's another example. A few weeks ago, Cathy and I went to a Friday afternoon movie. After the movie, we decided to have an early dinner at Cucina Colore. It was about 5:00. The restaurant was empty - the calm before the dinner storm. As we were eating, I noticed the bus people going table to table, straightening the place settings, and checking each piece of silverware and water glass to make sure that they were clean and free of water spots. Again, something I really appreciated. I really hate dirty silverware and water glasses in a restaurant.

Clean menus, silverware and water glasses do not happen by accident. They happen because of attention to detail.

The common sense point here is simple:

Small things make a world of difference

So what are the small things that can help you differentiate your business? Identify them and take care of them and you'll be on your way to success.

Bud Bilanich is president of the Organization Effectiveness Group in Denver, CO, a management and leadership consulting group whose clients include Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, AT&T and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. His books include 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations: Beyond the Flavor of the Month to Lasting Results.For a lively exchange on leadership, management and running a business, visit his blog, Common Sense Guy.

For more insights on starting and running a business with integrity, enroll in Trump University's new course, The Entrepreneurship Mastery Program. Classes are forming now.

Bud Bilanich, who created The Common Sense Guy blog,  is president of the Organization Effectiveness Group in Denver, CO, a management and leadership consulting group whose clients include Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, AT&T, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. His books include 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations: Beyond the Flavor of the Month to Lasting Results.
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3 Comments

[-] Posted by Dana on 10/24/2006 8:50 PM
Small things make a world of difference..
Mr.Bilanich overwhelming true and I love to make small things with huge impact in people¨s life, my friends as in mine for example...
I was lucky to travel and see a lot, more than my friends dreamed as intense I do it just opening an art album for example or to see a picture about Travi¨s fountain in Rome..
If in Paris, arriving at last minuts to celebrate the birthday of my husband(wich haved there a conference), imagine a more coloured restaurant in Paris Le Hyppoppotame, red leder seats, black wood, now, I was commenting: well perhaps is not a good idea to eat here, red is allways hot and allert did¨t let us to enjoy the meal, is like...forcing you that colour to eat quickly and go to let the table free for other customers..but any how we go in, comand and..pretending that I have to arrange myself, I got even, but to asking about the Boss of the local,well, he arrived instantly if received my message and telling him that we celebrate and please: wich are the possibility¨s to make it different, I¨ll pay for and appreciate the effort..my efforts to explain it in french reached him , smiled and tould me that when the light¨s will be off it will be the moment,
..well, delicieus meal, my husband allways wonder what¨s up if each time we travel, and stop in places to eat or drink something, we receive as gift something from the bar, and each time unexpected ¨couse we are soo special, look, I¨m not that type of hanging in bars or restaurants, noo, but each time we travel, it happened to be threated as special clients!! :))and my man feel allways not comfortable to take the spot on him that way, so each time I assure him, look, I don¨t do nothing for!!
but that day, well as response to his phone as:Dana have 2 hours for the flight to Paris to celebrate my birthday here if you¨ll like it..(that¨s mean let the job in the air at the 1/2 of the day, my boss assured me that will fire me if going like this, he did¨t do it at that moment :) , soo..travel with the bus after with the train at home, take the red rose and the fly ticket he let it on the livingroom table in the morning, he make it as ¨surprise ¨couse I was unhappy of missing Paris ¨couse of work..and and after the train to Amsterdam to reach at the last minut my flight to Paris!!!)well that was my ¨¨revenge¨¨ for the crazy run in that december day, spotting him unexpectedly in that restaurant the Boss helped me well, with his whole staff after lights where off, with singing ¨¨happybirthday to yooou¨¨ the whole reastaurant after they start, the pie with some ..like Christmas lights and some fire on the table as effects,
Well, seeing my man that everyone stand up and sing we stand up too looking about the persons we sing for but when understand that the restaurant staff will reach our table and that the whole restaurant applaude our kiss , I swear he almost haved a heartattack and whished to be far away from that place, they haved also a Polaroid camera and gived our foto after a minut, and we let later the restaurant handsfull with partyballoons as never in my child periode in Roumania ever haved… imagine how we taked a walk in the night into a Paris full of lights…as just in December can be as a feeria…
Or about small chocolades for the coffie they serve there with the water glass, and the small paper towels with the name of the restaurant, each time travelling, I collect it to make special the coffie talk with friends in Romania, so they see always the name of the place and asked, well, where we are now? And from my childish secret bag I reserve always the full story about what I¨ve seen, and look what¨s happened..a.s.o...or about the small ocean stones from Santa Monica USA on the beach a small woodshop and inside a woodcoffer as from pirates, w
[-] Posted by Debbie Dee on 10/26/2006 11:30 PM
Small things absolutely make a lot of difference! So focus to product and service to give great result to customers!
[-] Posted by Brenda White on 11/01/2006 9:22 PM
Life is in the details and so should be one's business as you so very nicely pointed out in your article. It can be that point of difference that sets you apart from your competition. It's worked for me!
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