We'll celebrate our son’s first birthday in 2 weeks. It’s been quite a year (for him and us) not least of all because I travel frequently for work, and since I’m rather fond of him, we often hit the road as a family.

Whenever we book a hotel we let them know we’re traveling with a baby. So what do they do? They put a cot in the room.

Astonishingly though, no hotelier yet has considered whether there’s anything else we might find useful. Like: a nappy/diaper bin, changing table, power socket covers, a high chair…Any one of these trivial additions would guarantee gushing praise, and you’d only need a few sets for the whole hotel.

There’s a lesson here beyond basic attention to detail. Because most things are designed for a mythical average user, those with unique requirements — parents with toddlers, wheelchair users, vegans, etc. — typically have a sub-standard experience and the expectations to match.

This means even the slightest display of consideration for their needs becomes a remarkable, memorable experience. And purely out of convenience and risk aversion, they are likely to default to purchasing from your brand next time.

A tip then: look out for customers with unique needs and do a little more to satisfy them. The returns could be far bigger than you think.

See this post on LinkedIn