One of the things I did a lot of in 2013 is travel. It’s part of the job, with clients to meet and prospects to develop. I’ll admit that when I fly, my preference is to frequent the same airline partly to rack up frequent flyer points. Not paying for bags, changing flights without a fee and the occasional upgrade are all nice touches. It’s not a lot, but frankly I don’t expect much. The airline industry has essentially been commoditized, and I’ll generally settle for landing within an hour of schedule — and in one piece.

But, having low expectations doesn’t mean you can’t still be disappointed. Or insulted.

Arriving at my home early in the new year was my new frequent flyer status package. I’m not top tier, but I went around the world a few times in 2013. (3.4 times, for your information.) The stuff they send in these packages is usually the same:

• A membership card. Does anyone carry these on their person? To show whom? And for what desired reaction?

• Baggage tags. I know that some of you carry these, but they are the air travel equivalent of the “5K” car window sticker for the self-adoring set.

• A credit card application. Of course! And coming soon to your in-flight commode paper!

And new this year: five drink tickets. WOW!

WOW, as in: Wow, at least the junk they usually send doesn’t offend me! How? Let me count the ways.

1. You expect me to carry these with me? Do you really expect me to be the guy who pulls out his coupon for a beer? Do I carry these in my wallet — or is there a way to attach them to that cool flyer status baggage tag? (Yes, you can call me a snob.)

2. The coupons aren’t even perforated. No big deal you say? It is a big deal if I’m the guy who pulls out a coupon for a beer, and looks like an idiot fumbling to tear off a coupon and protect the other four tickets. (Really, you should call me a snob.)

3. Explicitly excluded from coupon redemption, stated boldly on the front, are all premium drinks. How premium does it get on a flight? And, do the offerings get so luxurious that some need to be excluded — even with a limit of five?

Truthfully, I rarely have a drink when I fly. It’s just not my thing. And, like I said before, I really don’t expect much from flying. But, if my loyalty as a frequent flyer is worth only five, non-premium drinks, well, you can stick it in your drink cart, so to speak.

“That’s all great, Champ, but what does this have to do with car washing?” you may ask. Well, adoring fans, two thoughts. First, don’t be cheap when it comes to customer loyalty. Especially for your best customers, you should be going above and beyond. The lifetime value of that customer is extraordinary, so a free deluxe wash from time to time should be a no brainer. Second, don’t make that customer work hard to be treated like they deserve. We all lose coupons, so what about simply remembering the customer’s name or their license plate number? In other words, don’t just satisfy your best customers — delight them.

You don’t always have to look to the world’s best companies for ideas on how to improve your business. Instead, sometimes “the others” do us a favor by putting lessons in plain sight. Now, buckle your seatbelts as we prepare for takeoff. And wake me when the beverage cart gets near, I have a coupon left in my wallet.