I stay in hotels many nights each year while on the road. If I am at a hotel for several days, I always try to write a note to the maid and leave them a tip the very first day I am there. Here’s a photo of a note I left for the lady tending to my room at the JW Marriott in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the week I was there. I even wrote it, as best as I could, in her language:

There’s a lesson here. I almost always get better service as a result. But there’s a lesson you can take to your business from this as well.

Times are tough right now, no doubting that. But there are a lot of people who are on your team or help you make your business work. They aren’t flashy; they don’t do anything that jumps out; they just consistently do their job, show up, and don’t cause any issues. In trying times like this, don’t overlook those people. Tip your waitress, tip the fella that brings the propane to your office, give a tip to the lady who pours your coffee every morning, and most of all, tell your own employees thank you. It doesn’t take much to make someone feel important and many times it also helps the person who is saying thank you feel better too!

NOTE: Just to keep it real and to make you giggle….I thought she spoke Spanish, which showed my ignorance; she didn’t. Had I read her last name, I would have realized it wasn’t a name from a Spanish speaking country. She was from India and spoke fluent English! Shows you how smart I am! She laughed and I laughed when I saw her in the hallway, but she gladly accepted the tip and my room was perfect every day when I got in.