CUSTOMER SERVICE: THE WOW! FACTOR
by Shep Hyken
The “Wow!” factor boils down to one thing: Exceeding the expectations of the customer. It goes beyond great customer service. In short, the basic idea is to bring the element of surprise into your business. Find out how to employ the “Wow!” in your day-to-day activities in this document by Shep Hyken.
You might've noticed a number of books and articles about a concept called the “Wow!” factor. Many consultants and business experts have been talking about this for years, but it was probably Tom Peters who really brought it to the forefront. The concept of “Wow!” yells out, “Surprise! Aren't you glad you bought from me, decided to do business with our company, etc.!”
There are many ways that you and your organization can add the “Wow!” factor. Here are a few examples from my own experience:
- Last year I bought my wife a new car. This quest usually isn't one I look forward to. However, to my surprise, the experience was great — and the follow-up was even better. The owner of the dealership knew I was surprising my wife with the car. He called the next day, on a Sunday, to see how she liked the surprise. Wow! A few days later we received a thank-you note and a fruit basket. Wow!
- Recently my wife and I went out to eat at a nice restaurant. Even though we'd ordered a salad and main course, the waiter thought that we should have an appetizer. He brought us each a sample of three appetizers. He said they were so good that he didn't want us to miss the opportunity to at least try what the chef excels at doing. Wow! By the way, guess what we'll order when we go back to his restaurant? And, guess who got a big tip? Wow!
- Kellogg Business School professor and marketing guru Dr. Lou Stern talks about his recent purchase of a new car. On his way home he turned on the stereo system. Wow! He couldn't believe how great it sounded. All he wanted was a nice car, good service, and a smooth luxurious ride. He knew the stereo system would be good, but he didn't think it would “blow him away.” This was simply a surprise bonus. Wow!
- Bill Gates wrote a book on the future of technology, The Road Ahead. Surprise ! The book included a CD that contained the entire book and more, ready to be popped into your nearest computer. After all, if Gates predicts that books on CD-ROM will be the norm in the future, shouldn't his book “practice what it preaches”? If you travel with a laptop computer you don't have to even take the book with you. Just take the disk and read from the screen. Wow!
- Last year I bought a fruit basket for someone else from Harry and David, a catalog retailer that sells gourmet food through the mail. One day the mail came and I was surprised to find a gift box from Harry and David. I couldn't wait to find out who had sent me this delicious box of chocolate truffles. Surprise! It was a gift from Harry and David saying thank-you for doing business with them. Wow!
- I received a phone call from a restaurant that some friends and I had been to the night before. I wondered why they'd be calling me. Had I left my credit card there? No, they just wanted to follow up to make sure that I'd had a great meal and experience at their restaurant. That's all. Wow!
This list could go on and on. The “Wow!” comes from, “Surprise! You weren't expecting this, were you?” How can you build this into your product or service? It doesn't always have to be something tangible that might cost a lot of money. It can be a follow-up phone call or a basic thank-you note. It's meant to make the customer feel good about doing business with you.
Putting “Wow!” into what you do and sell isn't hard — but it is extremely effective. And I guarantee that for the receiver, it's a moment of magic !
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author specializing in customer service and customer relations. This article is reproduced, with permission, from the VuPoint Newsletter of the IIABA Virtual University.