Restaurants will supply Wi-Fi as a complimentary service and differentiation factor, says Hagan, while malls and stadiums will be more of a mix.

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That differentiation is why a quick service restaurant operator like Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain can be down more than 8% from its Sept. 28 IPO price and the two that priced Wednesday can get huge first-day pops.

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The downside of that type of differentiation plan is that a customer service bungle hits you harder than it would another airline, since travelers with high expectations are that much more disappointed when their experience doesn't go well.

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It is exciting to see more CEOs promoting world class customer service as a point of differentiation for their businesses.

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But take a shirt and turn it into an image (a promise of hipness, say), aim it at a specific customer segment (such as young Filipinos in Hong Kong), and display it to them in the right setting and with enthusiastic service, and you have both differentiation and a winning business model.

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