WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY’S WOW

So many businesses are struggling right now.  Many businesses have taken a huge loss in revenue and some are barely hanging on to even keep their business open.  Competition is fierce.  How can your business differentiate between your competitors?  The short answer is your WOW!  
    
When you think about WOW, you think about that customer who is leaving your store or hanging up the phone with one of your employees saying “WOW, now that was amazing service”.  There are a few organizations that stand out – Chick-Fil-A, Disney, Popeye’s Chop House.  The list is, well, a short one.  
    
Why isn’t your company listed?  It takes planning for the WOW – it just doesn’t happen.  A company needs to create their customer service standards to include their WOW.  Employees should be part of the development of the WOW statement and then commit to the buy in.  
    
Still not sure what a WOW example is – here is one for you.  Many, many years ago my friend decided that being a lawyer wasn’t for her so she quit the law firm and opened a floral business.  She knew that the competition in the floral industry was steep so she brainstormed about how to be different.  

With each delivery, she decided she would have the delivery driver take two Polaroid pictures (yes, I am dating myself).  She wrote handwritten card to the sender and inserted one of the pictures, noting that she thought they might enjoy seeing the recipient’s reaction to their delivery.  She also wrote a handwritten card to the receiver and inserted the other picture, noting that she thought they might enjoy seeing their reaction and if the individual needed flowers in the future, she hoped they would consider utilizing her services.  To say the least, her business grew into four locations in just two years.  The cost of two pictures and two stamps.  That was all it took for her to have a WOW.  
    
What I found interesting about this story was that the competing florists didn’t catch on.  They didn’t even attempt to find their own WOW.  Missed opportunity!  The y could have even copied her idea but they chose to stay with what they had going, which showed their lack of interest in being a WOW business.
    
As you work in your business throughout the day, think about what you could do to get your customers to say “WOW, now that was great service”.  You will be happy that you did.

Dawn Mushill, CEO
Customer Service and Beyond
www.dawnmushill.com
dawn@dawnmushill.com