If a hotel puts up a sign that says that recycling your towels instead of having them changed everyday is beneficial, it increases recycling. That’s no surprise. What is a surprising is that if a hotel simply adds to that sign that people previously using the room have done so, there’s another 26% bump in recycling. That’s remarkable, since that information seems irrelevant. Why would it matter what other people have done? And, yet, it absolutely does.
Yesterday, I was riding in a cab, and in the course of conversation, the driver was telling me about tips and how much people tipped. There was the time he made $40 on a $26 ride, and the time he shockingly received $12 on Park Avenue. Apparently, people in the Upper East Side aren’t known for their tipping. Now, I don’t know if it’s his thing or not, and he gave me no indication that it was. But being in New York, it’s hard not to think that it might be. But whether it was his spiel or not, it worked. No, I didn’t give him a $14 tip, but I did push the 30% button when the three choices lit up, and I rather tend to think that 30% is a lot for a cab ride, except when it’s a short one.
Yeah, I can hear it now. “You got played.” And maybe I did, but I’ll be damned if anyone can tell me that in the same situation they wouldn’t feel the pressure to do the same, because it’s a heck of a lot more than anyone would feel reading a sign in a hotel room, and that was good enough for 26%. The beauty was the delivery, though. He did nothing to let me think he was manipulating me. He made me feel good about the whole cab ride, and he was quite likable. In fact, it even felt good to pay the tip.
When you’re meeting with people, it’s important to set the tone and control expectations. If the cab driver told me no one ever tipped, I’m sure I wouldn’t have hit that 30% button. It set the tone and created a psychological force. Putting things in context, letting people know what others do, and being earnest and open have immeasurable value. It can not only improve sales, but it can even help you connect with people. Don’t be afraid of your prices, what you offer, what you don’t, or anything else. People will come around if they really want to work with you, and you put it out there the right way. If you’re doubtful, I can tell you there’s a cab driver in New York riding on the streets right now who will agree 100%.
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