I've been thinking this week about why it's important to go the extra mile. To deliver just a little more than people might expect.

This all started with a hotel stay. I got up in the morning and went down to the exercise room for some quality time on the treadmill. In order to exercise I pretty much NEED a distraction and that's where the good old boob tube comes in. While I'm doing my high stepping and going no where I like to flip between two things. The Food Network and TSN. One makes me hungry and the other makes me want to get in shape. I go from one to the other and the boring half hour flies by.

Imagine my horror when I discovered the TV in the exercise room works, but the remote is misplaced. This of course means no switching between my two favorite distractions.

I figured the front desk could help because at most hotels the remotes are universal and they'll work with pretty much any TV. No such luck. They couldn't find ANY remote that would work with the exercise room TV.

I said "no problem". Really it's not such a hardship. I can watch a half hour of Gordon Ramsay ripping some poor fool, and not have to flip to the baseball highlights when that gets boring. I can do it. I'm adaptable.

So I get walking, and Gordon is just getting ready to tear into somebody, when the door to the exercise room opens and in walks a maintenance guy with a new TV and remote. He hooks it up in 2 minutes, gives me the remote, and for the next 25 glorious minutes I toggle between Hells Kitchen and the latest Roy Halliday trade rumors.

The hotel didn't have to do this. I put no pressure on them. They just went the extra mile and delivered. It's something I'll remember and a story I'll always tell.

Radio listeners will do the same if we give them exceptional local service and deliver beyond their expectations.