BUSINESS WATCH:Theory of generosity tested

Tom Smalley has a simple theory that he lives by in business — and one that he’s living by now more than ever.

“The key to success is asking what the customer wants and when they want it,” said Smalley, the general manager of the Wyndham Orange County hotel and president of the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitors Bureau.

These days, Smalley is doing a lot of asking. His hotel launched a program this summer called “The Art of Generosity,” in which guests holding special events at the hotel can choose one of four incentive packages. Through at least the end of this year, customers setting up weddings, parties, conferences or other events can:

 Donate 10% of their bill to a charity of their choice

 Receive 10% of their bill back in South Coast Plaza gift cards

 Get a 10% discount on all expenses

 Receive reward miles with one of Wyndham’s nine airline partners, with the total number of dollars spent on the event doubled into the number of miles

The Wyndham has offered each of the incentives at different times in the past, but for the first time now, Smalley is letting the customers pick. Since the hotel launched the Art of Generosity program in July, around 20 businesses and individuals have participated in it — and Smalley is even willing to bend the rules in special cases. One company asked to trade the South Coast Plaza gift cards for $25 certificates to Trader Joe’s, since many of its lower-income employees needed the money for food.

The Wyndham, built in 1984 across the street from the Orange County Performing Arts Center, is a prime destination for both wealthy executives and patrons of the arts. Smalley conceived the Art of Generosity incentives, in part, to allow a less affluent demographic to use the hotel as well.

“We’ve had individuals come back and say, ‘You know, you’re just a little too high, but we love the outdoor lake area and we’d love to get married here,’” he said.