.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
On the plane. Just about asleep. The flight attendant announces that because of all the delays, our pilots are now declared illegal. It’s midnight. The flight is canceled. And we can’t retrieve our luggage.

Did I mention I have my teenage daughter with me? Fun.

We’re tired. We’re frustrated. We’re going to miss meetings, school and who knows what else. And we have no clean clothes.

Cue Norma. She answers the Embassy Suites phone and reassures me, “Don’t worry; we’ve got a room, and we’ll get you all set up.” Norma shows up in the van. She has bottles of water for us and offers to drive through a fast-food place if we’re hungry.

She digs up toothbrushes, deodorant and practically tucks us in. She turns an incredibly frustrating experience into a pleasant one.

Which is why, at 2 a.m., I find myself on the Embassy Suites Web site, trying to figure out how to let management know what a gem they have in Norma. I find the “recent stay comments” section.

When I click on the drop-down menu, it gives me a list of possible complaints.

You know what that says? We expect our employees to trigger complaints. I have to scroll down several more options before I find a complimentary category.

Yes, I am sure that more people take the time to complain than they do to compliment. But what impact would it have if the drop-down menu started with all the compliments and I had to scroll through them to get to the complaints?

It’s how we handle the details, the little things, the “that doesn’t really matter” elements that speaks loud and clear to our customers, prospects and employees.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2009 Drew McLellan