I see you waving there. *waves back, from north Delaware to Indiana* You picked a neat day to jump in.

Every time I walk in that store I am greeted by name and asked if I enjoyed the last book he had recommended to me. He being Mark, the employee.

Sounds like Destinations has got the secrets of hiring great staff down perfectly. Books are a commodity. They aren’t what Destinations is selling. Human interactions is what they’re selling, and with great folks like Mark in place, I’d say they’re doing an excellent job. Take that, amazon.

Thanks for your comment, and welcome to Maximum Customer Experience!

Regards,

Kelly

A wonderful business in my area is Destinations Booksellers, located near downtown New Albany, Indiana (near Louisville, KY). An independent bookseller with a large inventory and knowledgeable employees. Every time I walk in that store I am greeted by name and asked if I enjoyed the last book he had recommended to me. He being Mark, the employee.

I don’t go in often, but when I do it is really a pleasure to be treated as an individual with individual tastes. I don’t want to know if Mark has a secret black book of notes, or if their computer system has a CRM package on it. As a customer I only care about how I am treated and how my needs are taken care of. And this store does that

Wow, I’m being torn in another direction—now I want to visit Thunder Bay, too! I did one better than “breakfast at…” I just searched for Hoito, and I discoevred they have their own wikipedia entry (which is fascinating). The book, “Breakfast at the Hoito,” came up in the results too. They know how to make rabid fans!

From Wikipedia: “Hoito” is Finnish for the word “care.” I like that.

Well, folks,

You’ve made my decision tough. I’ll read through ‘em all after some caffeine, and this afternoon I’ll give a shout-out to the comment that made the best case for their distinctive business.

Ack! They’re all so good! Thanks, everybody!

Now I want toys, and guns, and pancakes, and some fishing supplies, and a little arugula…

Until later,

Kelly

There are a lot of distinctive businesses in Thunder Bay (you’d be surprised…) but probably the most distinctive is the Hoito Restaurant (http://www.hoito.ca/).

Like many businesses in Thunder Bay, it seems to defy the laws of gravity. It does next to no marketing other than word of mouth. But everyone knows about it, and it is the first place anyone will tell you that you *have* to go to when you’re here. (Don’t believe me? Try Googling “breakfast at the Hoito”.)

It started as a place for Finnish workers to eat about a hundred years ago, and it still is very much that place: a nondescript basement cafeteria below the Finnish Hall. Everyone who works there is Finnish, and they serve things like Finnish pancakes and salt fish. It’s not cheap (by Thunder Bay standards) but you do get a good helping of food.

So what makes it distinctive? It’s kind of like the Russian Tea Room or Spago Thunder Bay-style — it’s mostly the same as any other restaurant like it, but somehow it has a strong and alluring mystic around it. It helps that the food is consistent, the service is fast and friendly, and it has become both a local meeting place and a place to take tourists.

Most importantly, it is in my mind the “true” maximum customer experience. Because it in no way tries to brand itself (remember: they don’t advertise), the Hoito means basically whatever you want it to mean. They go about their jobs giving you consistency fast, and let you project your own experience onto it.

It’s a tough thing to pull off but if you do, how can you lose with a formula like that?

~Graham

Whoa. The buildings are soooo 1910, but the interiors are so “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” That’s a nice combo. Can you say “honeymoon”?

Now I just need a honey.

When you said surfing, I had to go map San Sebastian—I always pictured you on the east coast. Which probably shows I don’t listen well enough. Oops.

The whole area is GORGEOUS. Very dreamy. No wonder you’re so happy there!

Later,

Kelly

It’s also the cultural centre for the Basque Country with the highest concentration of Michelin Star restaurants in Europe, highly respected film and jazz festivals, and mixes Spanish and Basque cultures without strife.

And it has one of Europe’s largest spas: http://www.la-perla.net/ingles/historia.htm

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I love that—an example of how it’s the little details folks may not even notice are part of their Experience, that sometimes make all the difference.

Reminds me of a restaurant The Kid and I frequent. Good Mexican food. Fine service, usually, though I’ll even put up with a bad night now and then, because the little person’s happy.

But we don’t go there because of the wonderful food. And we don’t go there because the little person’s happy.

The little person’s happy, because they have fish.

So we go to a very nice Mexican restaurant and plunk down 35 bucks to see a fishtank.

Details.

Later,

Kelly

One of them is the outfitter who sells me my fishing supplies. He’s really friendly, gives great service, and he has a big black Lab who lies behind the counter.

When I come into the store, her tail goes Thump! Thump! Thump! and she comes up to the cash so I can rub her ears. Then she goes to lie down again, and I can resume my shopping.

The dog is probably 50% of the reason I keep coming back.

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