Help yourself!

So you're in an expensive five-star hotel and the hotel has those coat hangers without the hook. You know the ones: they are designed so that if you were ever to steal one, you would be unable to hang them on anything.

These coat hangers are an industry standard -- and reluctantly accepted by hotel guests. Imagine, though, if the hotel was to apply a bit of innovation to the hanger issue. Get rid of these hookless hangers and replace them with real hangers and a sign that says: "Coat hangers, $5 each. Help yourself."

[The hangers would be added to your bill like the drinks from the bar fridge]

PS. I read about this story in the Harvard Business Review magazine a while ago. I think it's a good example of how we can apply the innovation process to every part of a business.