Last week I needed a last minute flight from San Francisco back home to San Diego.

I usually fly Southwest. I have one of their “A-List” cards because I fly so often with them. They provide good value and have great people. They are one of the best companies for consumers, and employees, in the US right now.

However… in looking at my options, I saw that I could get a first class ticket for the same price as the Southwest ticket, on Virgin America.

So, what the heck – I grabbed it.

And here’s the theme of the post today – the effect of a “first class” experience on your business.

Red carpet up to the ticket counter, and extremely professional staff trained more like a hostess at a fine dining restaurant.

Very friendly. Very happy to see you.

The fresh bouquets of flowers on the counters were a nice touch in a gloomy airport.

On the airplane itself, very hip music as you boarded, and the lighting was a mixture of white and violet, which gave it the look of a nightclub. Big white leather seats – I mean living room leather chair BIG.

Incredibly hospitable staff, funny and joking around. Sir Richard Branson’s recorded voice welcoming everyone on to his airplane, and a recorded emergency video that was entertaining so you actually watched it.

Yummy food. Really. And the drink hit the spot too!

But the best part of the experience? A pull-out console that gave you music, video, television, or gaming choices.

I was able to recline to review my notes from the event I came from, and listen to an assortment of great classics in a playlist I quickly set up for the flight, Elton John to Eagles to the Steve Miller Band. (The music I like to listen to when I’m writing. The ones that take me back to my days as a kid.)

I’ve already mapped out every city where Virgin American flies, because whenever possible, I’m flying with them again.

I love Southwest, but Virgin America provides an experience that is just super cool.

No one is providing a hip flying experience except for Virgin. And you only need to experience it once to want to go back. It actually makes you want to have to fly somewhere… pretty amazing, huh?

And what does this have to do with YOUR business?

It has everything to do with it.

It did not really take much to upgrade the experience for the flight. Something that very few people look forward to doing.

In the grand scheme of things, if you get a new client that’s a frequent flyer like I am – that’s a big win for them.

Just like with your business, the real gold is in your repeat clients and their referrals. (Do you think this post will get a few of the thousands who come here every month to at least go take a look at Virgin America? Of course.)

And since birds of a feather flock together… I likely know other people who fly a lot in my own circle of friends and peers – they are hearing about it also. I am part of VA’s sales force right now, spreading the word to my circle for FREE.

Couldn’t you use some of that in your business right now?

Most businesses in surrounding us are BLAH. They are unoriginal, uninspired, and just flat lazy with their operation.

But there are some that shine. We’ve profiled Zappos.com here (CEO Tony Hsieh has a new book out Delivering Happiness – gotta grab it, trust me on this one) – they definitely are not blah.

And Apple continues to over-deliver not just in their new products, but in their local service.

Here is a video clip of Joe and I in San Francisco before a trip overseas, where not only did the employee “D.” sell and format a new Macbook for me in the final minutes of their store hours, but he also went out and hailed us a taxi for the airport.

The service experience was SO good, when we came back from the trip Joe decided to pre-order 20 iPads to send off to some of his key clients and referral sources.

You do the math on that one. One great customer experience = 20 more sales.

Did D. need big fancy leather chairs and vodka and cranberry drinks? No.

He just happily got an order completed, and went the extra step of literally stepping outside to grab us a cab.

He did something nice, that he did not have to do… but he wanted to.

If you want to see engaged, genuinely helpful company employees in action – go to an Apple Store. And while you are there, notice the effect on you from the music, to the décor, to the “things to play around with,” to the people – and you will see lessons on how to create a store experience that supports more enthusiastic sales.

No one leaves the Apple Store dreading their purchase. They are excited.

So what can you do in your business to be memorable? To make them leave with a smile on their face? To make them tell others how cool your business is?

Paying attention to those questions could add another zero to the end of your revenue numbers. Zappos is a billion dollar company, not because they created new shoes to sell, but because they created a customer service environment (on-line!) passionate about their clients.

Apple is a $22 billion company, not because they invented completely new technologies… but because they take existing ones and repackage them into cooler, simpler, easier technologies. And they wrap it in great customer service as well.

The Virgin brand of companies is FULL of examples of coming into industries failing the customers on experience, and they do it better. Way better. Branson knows how to over-deliver.

You don’t have to be a billion dollar company to have customer impact. When was the last time a company sent you a hand-written thank you card? Never?

It doesn’t take much… except a desire to make a memorable impression on each client. Have them leave you feeling better than when they arrived. Have them feel appreciated and happy, like a great visit with an old friend, or hearing a great song from one of your old albums. (You remember what albums are, right?)

We all could use a little more of that in our lives, so make your company one of those places people really enjoy.

- Lisa

P.S. It’s easy to find companies to complain about – I want to hear about companies with great service you see out there. Please write in the comments about the ones making a difference out there in YOUR region. I want to hear about them. Thank you!

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