In the book, The New Gold Standard, the author describes how The Ritz Carlton hotel aims to go above and beyond for every single one of their guests. 

Throughout this book and many others, you learn of different ways The Ritz empowers their employees to create magical moments and experiences for every person who steps foot on their grounds. 

Some of the stories are truly mind blowing and it’s hard to imagine such a large company going the extra mile to do some of these things. 

It’s almost like these small acts of service and kindness have been lost, so as humans, we’re wowed when we see them being done. 

For example, one story shared how all guests are greeted by name from the moment they pull onto the property to checking in at the front desk and every step in between. 

Sure, it’s a small gesture, but it adds up in a huge way and truly makes the stay unforgettable.

Especially when the staff has to go to great lengths to know your name before you ever even arrive.

Other stories are a little more remarkable and involve the staff helping guests search for a lost wedding ring and making sure it’s found and waiting for the couple at their breakfast table the next day. 

The point is, The Ritz Carlton understands customer experience and they know that all of these efforts combined add up to make their brand memorable. 

Even me, someone who doesn't frequent The Ritz, knows they value their customers and it makes me a little more interested in staying at one of their properties one day. 

You might be thinking what all of this has to do with you…

Well my friend, YOU have the opportunity to do the exact same thing for your clients and customers. 

And no it doesn’t mean you have to have some huge budget or create a bunch of grand gestures all the time.

I believe the most memorable brands are actually made by doing the simplest things. 

Sure, there might be a time and place where it makes sense for you to go big, but all in all, there are a few small things you can implement – that don’t cost a whole lot of extra money or time – to make your brand just as memorable!

Here are a few of my favorite ways to add The Ritz Carlton Effect to your brand. ⬇️

5 Ways To Give Your Brand The Ritz Carlton Effect

Get to know your customer BEYOND just their business

As service providers and business owners, many of us are doing work for other business owners, so it’s natural when working with them to learn the ins and outs of their business. 

It’s often required for us to do our job well.

For example, I can’t successfully help someone with branding or website design unless I really know about their business. 

That’s pretty obvious, right? While of course you’re going to get to know your customer from a business standpoint, I believe it’s important to take that a step further and get to know your customer from a personal standpoint too.

No, this doesn't mean you have to become besties and chat about what’s going on in your child’s lives. That’s not the point of this!

The point is that you get to know their personal likes and dislikes, such as their favorite food or beverage, the music they listen to, the shows they love to binge, etc.

And NO, this is not that fluffy ideal client avatar stuff. This is more so for you to know AFTER they’re already a client. 

You can gather this information in an onboarding form and have it in your arsenal to use later on!

Create a budget for gifts or freebies

Let’s be real… everyone loves a surprise gift that just randomly shows up in the mail! 🎁

Imagine how your client would feel when they receive a specially curated gift just for them to show up on their doorstep either before or after working with you.

Sure, things like this take a little bit of extra time, effort, and money, but when you PLAN for it, it simply becomes a part of your systemized process.

And remember: special client gifts don’t have to be extravagant. 

A sweet treat they love (which could be included on the onboarding form mentioned above) and a handwritten note go a long way!

For more tips on client gifting, I recommend reading this blog post from Wonderfully Made Gift Co.!

Create some sort of trademark your brand is known for

Some of the most memorable brands out there have something they are specifically known for and people talk about those things all the time. 

For example, Chick-fil-A is known for their infamous saying, “my pleasure!” Although that’s not a physical gift, everyone LOVES this type of service and it has undoubtedly made their brand more memorable.

Same goes for DoubleTree Hotels. They’ve become known for their delicious chocolate chip cookies that are always available in the lobby.

Both of these things are proof that it really is the simple things that make the biggest difference!

For you, it could be a number of things, such as a signature fragrance in the packaging you deliver your product in or a special note at the start of the project. 

Again, grand gestures aren’t always what people are looking for. They often want small acts more than anything. 

Use personalized interactions 

Just like The Ritz Carlton puts an emphasis on learning and using their guests names, you should 100% do the same. 

This is a perfect example of something that costs no extra money and hardly any extra time. 

Anytime you communicate with a customer or client, whether via email, Slack, or phone, USE. THEIR. NAME. 

It’s kind of like if you were to go to a coffee shop and they referred to you as “honey cinnamon latte girl.”

Ummm, my name is Amanda, but thanks!

Send a birthday card (or at the very least TELL them happy birthday)

I’ll be honest… when I’m working with someone as a client, I don’t expect them to tell me happy birthday or much less even know when my birthday is. 

But if they DID?! It would feel really special! 

Everyone loves to be recognized and acknowledged and simply knowing your customers birthday and taking the time to wish them a happy one (either digitally or via a physical card) can really make a huge difference.

They’ll remember you for that! 

Psst: go ahead and add this question to your onboarding form too!

Overall, there are a TON of ways to give your brand The Ritz Carlton Effect and my hope is this blog post gave you some fresh ideas to start implementing in your own business. 

Your clients expect you to deliver on the product or service they purchased, but they can truly be blown away when you go the extra mile. 

And that’s what produces repeat business and word of mouth marketing. 

So if you think it’s not worth it… think again. 

I’m curious – do you have anything special you do for clients and customers that makes your brand a little more memorable? I’d love to hear about it! 

Connect with me HERE, so I can cheer you on. 👏🏼

Your designer friend always,