What’s Costing You the Most Profit? Missed Sales Opportunities! Another Dumb Company Policy

Here’s another missed sales opportunity:

Several years ago, I planned a ten-day driving vacation from Chicago to Atlanta and back in my new convertible, with stops along the way at the interesting and quirky places I’d visited on family vacations as a child.

My intent was to stay at Days Inns along the way (Cecil Day, the founder, lived down the street from my family in Atlanta and Day’s Inn was the first motel I ever stayed at without my parents...Spring Break…Daytona Beach…that’s another story)

I called Days Inn reservations and requested a directory so that I could phone ahead for a room from my car whenever I felt like stopping for the night. The reservations employee was polite and took all my address information.

AND THEN SHE TOLD ME THE DIRECTORY WOULD TAKE 3-4 WEEKS TO ARRIVE!

I explained that I was leaving on my trip in 2 weeks, but she quoted a company policy about the 3-4 week delivery time.

I hung up, called Motel 6 and received their directory in a few days.

A week after I returned from my trip guess what arrived? The Days Inn directory! That gave me an idea. I copied all my Motel 6 receipts ($300 worth) and mailed them to the president of Days Inn with a letter explaining why the $300 was in Motel 6’s bank account and not his.

I received a prompt letter from a vice president who explained – are you ready for this – that the reason it takes 3-4 weeks to mail a directory is that they wait until they get enough requests to mail them bulk rate! To rub salt in my wound, she enclosed a coupon worth 10% off my next visit to Days Inn…which expired in 30 days!

q    What stupid policies and procedures do you have that are keeping you from getting all the business you can from all your customers and prospects?

q    What policies and procedures make it more difficult to do business with you than with your competitors?

q    If you make mistakes, what do you do to rectify them?