Why Little Things Really Matter

March 23, 2010

Interview with Tom Peters, author of the book The Little Big Things

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Mike Carruthers:
Let’s say you go into a restaurant and the food is good but the bathroom’s kind of gross. Will you remember the food and forget the bathroom?

Tom Peters:
The way human memory works you’re going to forget about the croissant and you’re going to remember the bathroom and you’re going to tell 10 friends. The truth of the matter is we remember the little stuff.
 

Tom Peters, who authored the landmark book In Search of Excellence, has a new book just out called The Little Big Things.

Walt Disney at Disney World and Disneyland has focused like the dickens on the parking lots and the parking lot attendants. Because the real hard research says we remember beginnings and we remember ends. It’s not the theme ride at the beginning or the end it’s the kid in the parking lot. And if he’s well trained and if he smiles and he’s polite it makes an incredible difference.

Tom says, somehow we’ve forgotten how important the little things really are.

And in this age of the Internet we go around breathlessly saying, “Everything has changed, nothing is the same as it ever was.” And the little courtesies - the listening, apologizing when you’re wrong, saying thank you, and having clean bathrooms – and that is the differentiator.

When you’re dealing with people, Tom Peters believes the little things will always matter.

Anybody who doesn’t think that thoughtfulness, kindness makes a huge difference to their customers – I pity those people!
 

To hear the complete unedited interview, click here