The $10 Dollar Hamburger

I want to tell you a story.

A while back I was at Disney World with my family. You've been there.. who hasn't. And talk about a great time.. it really is the "happiest place on earth". OK maybe not for adults but we booked this flight so I guess we have to at least enjoy the ride huh...

Anyway, as many of you know its not the "cheapest place on earth". Not only did we pay about 14 million dollars just to get into the park but there are costs associated with everything once inside.

Thirsty? 5 bucks please

Want a picture? 5 bucks please.

Which leads me to lunch / dinner.I want to tell you a story.

A while back I was at Disney World with my family. You've been there.. who hasn't. And talk about a great time.. it really is the "happiest place on earth". OK maybe not for adults but we booked this flight so I guess we have to at least enjoy the ride huh...

Anyway, as many of you know its not the "cheapest place on earth". Not only did we pay about 14 million dollars just to get into the park but there are costs associated with everything once inside.

Thirsty? 5 bucks please

Want a picture? 5 bucks please.

Which leads me to lunch / dinner. You HAVE to eat. So we sit down in to eat. I head up to the line (oh there are lines for everything there) to order.

Me - "Ill take 3 chicken strips kids meals and 2 hamburger meals please."
Cashier - "Sure thing. That will be $67.50"


So I whipped out the cash and paid the lady, moved forward to the counter to await for our food. The whole time I was thinking about the look on my youngest sons face the first time he rode the "pirate ride" and wondering why our sons were being so good. No one got a purple nurple (yet) and no one was called "dummyhead" and its past noon.. Wow.


Brought the food back to the table and we all ate. The whole time (and pretty much the whole trip) we were all smiling. As a matter of fact we started thinking about our "next trip" later that same day... Disney sure has something here.
Soon after that trip was over with tentative plans for a return visit, it hit me like an 18 pound sledge... I paid almost $70 for 2 burgers, 15 chicken strips, some fries and some soda / water.

$70!!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole time Im smiling. As I "whipped out the cash" to pay for lunch, as I basically mortgaged the house to pay the entrance fee to the park. As I stood in line for hours on end to ride the rides. Sure the kids cant go to college now but damnit, we rode Jungle Cruise 3 times in a row!!

I know we could have rolled in to Six Flags, which is an hour away from home, dropped about 200 bucks on the entire trip and been done with it. I mean a boat pirate ride is a boat pirate ride right?


We leave in 8 months for Orlando!

Point of this story, offer customers what they are looking for. Treat them they way you would want to be treated. They will become loyal. And remain loyal.


You can be that "$10 Hamburger" if you have the right attitude and processes in place. People will pay a premium for added value.


You dont have to be a Lexus store to spoil your customers....