As the gap in between “Haves” and “Have Nots” in the society grows wider, the number of businesses joining the Price War increases.
And as you are probably aware, competing in Price alone is a terrible idea!
However, many small business owners don’t know what else to do when their competitor lowers their price.
Well, here is our 20cents (not 2cents, cos we don’t believe in Price Competition. 
) worth.
As a business owner, you MUST know what your strength is, what your customers want, and make a bold statement. But you probably have heard that already.
You also probably have been told to identify what you do differently to your competitors, right?
But the reality is that we all went through a similar (or even the same) education and training system, and it is a bit tricky to do things that your competitors have not thought of.
So we end up claiming that we are “BEST in Customer Service”, or ”Reliable, Professional and Friendly…” which are really meaning less to your prospects because your claim is not based on anything measurable.
OK, so here is one thing you can do… Ready?
“List everything you do in your operation, and delete what you don’t really need!”
That’s it. Thank you!
What? You have already done that? mmm… think again.
I mean think again SERIOUSLY, and THINK OUTSIDE OF THE SQUARE!
Let me tell you about a Japanese Budget Hotel Chain called “Super Hotel”.
If you check out their website (http://www.superhoteljapan.com/en/) you will find that they also say “Ranked No.1 in Customer Satisfaction”.
But what is different is that they are “Ranked” No.1 by Japanese Customer Satisfaction Index. Meaning their “No.1″ claim has a real evidence the consumer can check against.
Would you like to know how they got there?
You are in luck, because I watched an interview where the CEO, Mr.Yamamoto, of Super Hotel shared the secret of their success.
First, they analysed their “Target Market” and found what they are after.
(You have been told to do this too, right?)
They determined that their frequent users are business people on a short trip, with a limited budget & time.
Basically that means they are always in hurry to get to the appointment, and comes back to hotel at night just to sleep.
Note, the keywords here are… In Hurry, Sleep, and Night.
So they looked at their entire operation processes and made amazing changes, focusing ONLY on “Safety, Cleanliness and Really Good Sleep” .
Since the Guests are in “Hurry” they eliminated the “Check Out” Process!
Yep, you heard it right. No Check Out to waste your valuable time in the morning.
- They have No Phone (cos Business people always have their mobile phones), No Mini Bar (drinks can be purchased from vending machines) and No other extras that the guests may need to pay upon the departure.
- You prepay for the room upon check in, and Breakfast is included.
- There is no Key to return, because you enter your room using your assigned PIN number.
- Really comfy beds. The guest has a choice of Hard or Soft Mattress room, and given 7 options of pillows upon check in.
- Extra quiet Minibar Fridge (though it is empty, the guest may wish to bring in their own food & drinks)
- Rubber cushion in the door frame to eliminate the slamming noise, and to seal the external noises out.
- Dimmed lighting in the rooms as well as the public area.
- High quality Buffet Breakfast.
- They cut out air conditioning during the day (since there is no guest in house)
- Overnight Services (such as 24hour Reception)
- And they even cut the “Legs” under the beds to reduce vacuuming time by 3min per room.
Amazing! Who would of thought that you can eliminate the “Check out” process?
And as you can see, really focusing on your customer’s needs, and getting rid of what you don’t need can also allow you to compete in the Price War.
But unlike the most of budget airlines, which sacrificed quality for the lower prices, Super Hotel has the No.1 Satisfaction Rating in the industry!
Mr.Yamamoto described his vision beautifully.
“We don’t aim to be a big bouquet flowers. A single flower can touch people’s hearts“.
