Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough

February 26, 2007
According to Tisch, ever-increasing consumer expectations mean that service-based industries have to go beyond the realm of good service to provide an experience that's truly exceptional-and thus, truly memorable. It's a simple premise that needs a rigorous treatment; unfortunately, this effort from Loews Hotels chairman and CEO Tisch (along with business writer Weber) suffers from a lack of ideas and analytical muscle. Tisch (The Power of We) makes some obvious statements, largely pertaining to people's desire for comfort, choice and individualization in their consumer experiences, and then sets about repeating them. The idea that "people want to know that patronizing your business ... won't add to their stress and anxiety....and can offer some respite" gets hammered home early and often. Practical examples of his techniques come by way of a number of businesses, including Loews hotels; as such, anecdotes can read like press releases (on disregarding the rules: in "Loews Hotels ... every housekeeper, bellman, engineer, and desk clerk knows that he or she is permitted-no, expected-to go outside the standard procedures when necessary...to provide that guest with a moment of unexpected satisfaction and delight"). Tisch's latest has a solid subject and some genuinely useful techniques that get lost in a bloated, redundant text.

April 16, 2007
According to Tisch, ever-increasing consumer expectations mean that service-based industries have to go beyond the realm of good service to provide an experience that's truly exceptional-and thus, truly memorable. It's a simple premise that needs a rigorous treatment; unfortunately, this effort from Loews Hotels chairman and CEO Tisch (along with business writer Weber) suffers from a lack of ideas and analytical muscle. Tisch (The Power of We) makes some obvious statements, largely pertaining to people's desire for comfort, choice and individualization in their consumer experiences, and then sets about repeating them. The idea that "people want to know that patronizing your business ... won't add to their stress and anxiety....and can offer some respite" gets hammered home early and often. Practical examples of his techniques come by way of a number of businesses, including Loews hotels; as such, anecdotes can read like press releases (on disregarding the rules: in "Loews Hotels ... every housekeeper, bellman, engineer, and desk clerk knows that he or she is permitted-no, expected-to go outside the standard procedures when necessary...to provide that guest with a moment of unexpected satisfaction and delight"). Tisch's latest has a solid subject and some genuinely useful techniques that get lost in a bloated, redundant text.

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