Cedar City Chamber of Commerce Blog

The Beach Boys might be disappointed to learn we just can’t all be California girls.

I spent the last week in Los Angeles learning at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Managment at Loyola Marymount University. The institute was wonderful, the campus was beautiful, the ocean was mesmerizing and therapeutic. The most beautiful site I witnessed was the “Cedar City Next Three Exits” sign just south of town.

I lingered in L.A. for a day to visit with a friend and to contribute to the tourism industry there. My friend, Susan, having grown up in the Los Angeles area agreed to be my tour guide for the day.

“I want to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame!” I insisted. She begrudgingly agreed and I didn’t understand her hesitation. We whizzed off on a crammed L.A. freeway and eventually made our way into the heart of Hollywood. I would never have admitted it, but I inspected every car on the road carefully for movie stars traveling in cognito.

We arrived on the famous walk sprinkled with concrete stars representing the best of the best of Hollywood. I stared up and down the street in great anticipation and then gingerly stepped out onto the dirty street.

“Is this it?” I asked. Susan laughed.

“Where’s the glitz? Where’s the glimmer? Where are the fancy shops I assumed would surround this — the most hallowed of ground in movie land?”

Susan laughed again.

I’m a good sport so we toured two blocks of names on stars, crossed the street and toured two more. I stayed close to the street to avoid the adult book store, the bars and other questionable establishments that lined the famous Hollywood walk.

This, I thought, was a classic example of Hollywood at its best. It looked so good on television and not so great in real life. I can honestly say I’ve been there now. I can’t honestly say I’ll go back again.

As business owners and advocates, we need to remember it is just as important to deliver the products and services we advertise as it is to advertise them in the first place. Repeat business is the key to success. Think about these ways to increase your repeat traffic:

• Always under promise and over deliver
• Customer service is key
• Frequently ask your customers for a report card by providing comment cards in your place of business (or virtual place of business) or through direct marketing
• First impressions are lasting impressions — if you were a customer entering your business for the first time, what would be your first impression?

I’m sure you have great advice for other business owners. Please share some retention ideas with us by posting a comment.