And to 35% of the Canadian market in high-end men's wear, Harry is a household name. After 50 years in business it's no wonder that buying at Harry Rosen is a tradition in many families.

Harry started with a 500 square foot store in downtown Toronto in 1954. Then in 1961 he moved into a large shop and started thinking about how to advertise his personal tailor shop business. Harry, always mindful that customers know best, asked a customer about an advertising strategy to grow his business. Now this customer just happened to run a major advertising agency so that was certainly a good choice.

This Month's Poll Communication is the oxygen that change needs to survive, says Price Pritchett. The communications in my organization reflect this belief. Always Most of the time Some of the time Never Results

Harry, he's more than the founder - he's the brand!
The campaign that started in 1961 still exists today because it was simple and effective. The ad featured a shot of Rosen from behind and the text read "This is Harry. Harry has a store. Harry sells suits. Harry's suits are all naturally tailored. Harry calls this lean, unpadded styling the Cambridge look. Harry specializes in the Cambridge look. If you like the Cambridge look, remember his name, Harry."

And people did. They liked Harry. And in fact, this was the beginning of Harry Rosen the brand. Customers knew they could ask Harry just about anything related to men's clothing - Harry always made time for his customers. He knew that his customers were the most important part of his business. Even today at 72, he still spends Saturday in his flagship store with a tape measure and chalk in hand and advises customers about their clothes. He does a trunk tour every year where he visits the rest of his 15 stores and measures up customers for their suits.

Just ask Harry, he'll tell you to talk to customers...
And it's that close contact with his customers that has been essential in helping his business grow. Harry never lost sight of that. He didn't disappear into a corporate office - he stayed on the selling floor - where he believes the customer experience is created. He knows that his customers will tell him if the quality they expect isn't there (although that just doesn't happen) and he knows that his customers will even tell him about the competition. He knows that direct contact with customers is the best source of information to run his business. Just "Ask Harry" - he'll tell you.

Feedback only takes a minute. Click here to tell us what you think about this month's newsletter.

Carolyn Watt is the founder and president of The Customer Experience Company. She is passionate about customer experience and believes that the experience is formed as a result of three things: processes, communications and people. That means that you must make it insanely easy for your customers to do business with you. Your communications must be written clearly. And, your staff must deliver on the brand promises you've made to your customers.

UCD - user-centred or user-centric design is the key philosophy we teach in our usability courses at the University of Toronto. Bryan Eisenberg, one of our favourite columnists, adds a new thought to the mix...that of persuasion architecture. He talks about how Web sites are voluntary destinations and UCD approaches improve the usability of the site once you arrive. These principles don't actually entice you to go to a Web site. Read this feature article from ClickZ.

Of course you expect an exceptional experience at a spa - that's their business, right? But how do they create that experience? What do they do to make your stay exceptional...to make you feel great? Ruth-Anne did some onsite research to uncover the secrets at one of the world's top 10 spas. She reveals some key secrets to delivering an exceptional experience to your customers.