After a weekend of attempting to keep up with my son and his buddies skiing and boarding through nearly 20,000 vertical feet per day on the mountain at Vail, my physically challenged body was not looking forward to the sturm und drang of the TSA line at Denver airport.

In fact, by the time I got to Terminal C to catch my plane, what I really needed was a calm and very comfortable place to relax and unwind.

Fortunately, tucked in a corner of Terminal C, I discovered Vino Volo.

In fact, Vino Volo self-describes their space as a “comfortable post-security retreat for air travelers, combining a cozy wine lounge, restaurant, and boutique wine shop.”

And while their approachable perspective to wine is unique and appealing, it is their uncompromising commitment to the level of customer service required to be considered a “retreat”, which sets them apart.  No wonder they took home six awards at the recent Airport Revenue Conference in February, including Retailer with the Highest Regard for Customer Service and and Food Operator with the Highest Regard for Customer Service.  That last award they have won seven years in a row.

Those awards are no accident.  Their CEO is quoted as saying “Exceptional service is the cornerstone of our brand…we are building our business one happy guest at a time.”

Clearly, wine, food and merchandise may be how they make money, but living up to the expectations air travelers have of a post-security retreat is why they exist.  As Simon Sinek once said, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” (New Revenue Now, July 2012)

It is very similar to how Starbucks famously stated they were not just a coffee house but “A third place between home and work” https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2012/05/29/starbucks-hold-on-us-is-bigger-than-coffee-its-psychology/

That concept revolutionized how companies could elect to define themselves – not simply by what they sell, but by what purpose they serve to their customers.

And if that purpose is something your customer truly needs, and you execute upon that purpose flawlessly, you have a recurring recipe for continued revenue growth.

Take a moment and think what your customers would say is the reason why your company exists.  Can’t come up with an answer?  Or worse yet, the answer is not something your customer truly needs?  Perhaps its time to rethink your core value proposition.