How Long A Towel Do You Give Your Customers?

We were driving on the freeway yesterday, and had to make a pit stop.  After I filled up the gas tank, I headed inside to do my business — and of course stopped to wash my hands.  Don’t want to get any Pig Flu, ya know.  When clean, I turned to find a paper towel and this is what I saw.

It was one of those “automatic dispensers” that you wave your hand in front of, and a little light comes on and it gives you the length of towel that the store owner thinks is appropriate to completely dry your hands.  In most cases, I get just about enough for two fingers.  I wave my hand again, but nothing more comes out until I tear the little strip off and wait for five seconds.

Then another little strip arrives.  And another.  I eventually have three tiny little towels, and end up with damp hands.

Now one way to look at this is that the store owner is trying to save our environment, one roll of cheap towels at a time.  Another is that he thinks that most folks will give up, and exit without using much in the way of towels.  That probably saves him a buck or two a day, I suppose.

But this dispenser was different!  I actually got a meaningful length of towel, and my hands were dry when I was done.

It got me thinking about how we treat our customers (or your learners) in our interactions — and how long a “towel” we provide for them in each interaction. And the feelings that are engendered in the process.

Do you strive to cut out every possible extra in the process, and just provide the bare bones?  Are you charging extra for shipping, handling, talking to a real person?  Do your customers find that once they’ve agreed to purchase that they’ve just begun to pay — and find an ever-growing list of additional charges?

Airlines, car rental and hotel companies are becoming experts at this.  A $250 airplane ticket will cost me about $350 – $400 by the time I pay taxes, luggage charges, for in-flight food, and some air to breathe.  Rental cars see things like gasoline, insurance, GPS, and racks as extra.  Not to mention chains in Denver.

And hotels?  Don’t get me started!  Want wi-fi?  Peanuts? A robe?

Yes, I know that your competitors are offering a lower price, because they cut off all the extras — but I wonder if you might just tell your customers that you’re not going to sell them something they can’t really use.  Rather than doling out tiny little strips of towels.