Dunno about you, but it’s been a monumentally busy summer over here!
The projects have been piling up. And the days sliding by all too quickly.
So, with work up to my eyeballs and time in critically short supply, what have I been up to?
Off on a two-week family vacay (with wifey and junior in toe) to London + Paris. Hey, not bad work if you can get it, right?
Plus, getaways are necessary for mental health. And family time imperative to fostering, well, a happy, healthy, and functional family.
London’s Biggest MUST-SEE Attraction?
Anyway, back to the trip. Now, if you’ve ever been to London, you already know this. But if you haven’t, there’s one place you absolutely MUST SEE if you ever venture into the UK’s most venerable of metropolises.
No, it’s not Buckingham Palace. Or Big Ben. Or the Tower Bridge or the Crown Jewels or National Gallery. I mean, don’t get me wrong, those are all fab monuments. And well worth having a look at.
But that’s not what I’m talking about. Nope. Rather, I referring to the inimitable department store, Harrods.
A Grand Monument to Retail Therapy
One city block square, rising six stories high, this monument to retail commerce MUST be seen to be believed. If you can dream it, you can likely buy it at Harrods. And I have a hunch if you whisper in the right clerk’s ear, you can probably even make purchases the reach far beyond your wildest dreams ;—)
Unfortunately, anything that even hints at shopping sends Juinor whining for the hills. So, to entice the visit, we had to promise a tour Harrods’ spectacular toy department and some kind of “sweet treat.” (Yes, my 7-year-old son is hopelessly addicted to sugar.)
Thus, after stalking the immense toy department, which took up nearly half the 4th floor, we dipped into Harrods’ ice cream parlor.
The $11.50 Teddy Bear Ice Cream Sundae
Tucked in behind Italian pizza cafe and the coffee bar, Harrods’ ice cream parlor is a sight to behold. All gleaming white, with a serpentine serving bar snaking throughout the space, and genuinely cheery staff all clad in jackets and ties. By no means your average ice cream joint.
After carefully perusing the kiddie menu, Junior selected the Teddy Bear Sundae. Three modest scoops of ice cream. Two vanilla, one chocolate. A couple spritzes of whipped cream. And a teddy bear-shaped wafer cookie perched on top.
The price tag on this quaint, but certainly not colossal confection? $11.50.
Yes, you read that right. Eleven dollars. And fifty cents.
Now, the last time I swung by DQ (Dairy Queen), their kids Hot Fudge Sundae clocked in at about $3.50. And that actually feels kind of expensive for DQ. But it is, after all, a signature DQ menu item.
Based on the single bite I was allowed of Junior’s precious Teddy Bear Sundae, I can confidently proclaim it delicious. Definitely no cut-rate dairy treats at Harrods.
But was it $7 better than DQ’s hot fudge sundae? Truth be told, no. The thing is, you’re not paying $7 for “higher quality” ice cream.
Rather, you’re paying $7 more for the gleaming white interior, serpentine serving bar, and relentlessly cheery jacket + tie clad staff.
In other words, you’re paying for the Harrods, experience. The brand experience.
This $7 swing also begs an important question about your business…
Are you serving up the $3.50 DQ hot fudge sundae? An adequate confection that attracts clients willing to pay for “adequate” services, as long as nothing is too expensive.
Or are you serving up the $11.50 Teddy Bear Sundae? A sweet treat background by a gleaming white interior, serpentine serving bar, and highly attentive + well-dressed staff, all of which lures in decerning clientele willing to pay for a superior experience
And if your business is leaning closer to the DQ end of the spectrum, how do you move it closer to Harrods’ side of the game?
A critical concern…
For any professional service business owner, like you, looking to not only grow your business but reel in better quality clients willing to pay for superior brand experience.
