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Capturing the “Wow” Factor

wow

by Ted Saul, Senior Staff Writer

           

Lately I’ve been reading about applying the “wow” factor to a business.   In his book Platform: Get noticed in a Noisy World, Michael Hyatt states that those looking to create the wow experience “must exceed the customer’s expectations”. Simply stated that after doing business with your company the customer looks back and says “wow”. A quick search for wow factor on Amazon will turn up numerous books and organizations dedicated to helping businesses reach that level. But you don’t need to start spending large amounts of money to improve your business.

           

I believe the wow factor consists of three elements. First there is the experience or how you and your staff relate to the customer. Take the initial greeting given the potential customer as they enter the store.   I’m always impressed when an employee opens a restaurant door and greets me with a sincere smile. This will work in most types of business but be sure that it remains genuine and not mechanical. Most likely this greeter is delivering the first impression of your company while making your customer feel as though they were expected. Attitudes play an important role as well. Does your team take a “customer for life” attitude by viewing every customer from a long-term perspective? Give your customers a wow experience by taking interest in them, accommodating their needs and providing the best customer service possible. Remove the barriers that prevent your employees from doing so.

           

Secondly, there is the physical environment. Be sure it’s clean and friendly. This should go without saying but many times dirty floors, restrooms and smudged windows take a back seat during a rush. Replace burned out lights and touch up paint when possible. Remember these factors are leaving an impression on your customers as well. Make sure the parking lot and landscaping are in order. If you have dressing rooms, check them regularly for tags, inventory and other items left behind. For those with waiting rooms refresh those magazines regularly. Remove any of those torn or damaged and replace with clean copies. A small book or game library may prove impressive as well.

           

Lastly are your products and services. Perform regular quality reviews and testing to ensure what you offer is a wow product. Additionally examine the touch points such as business cards, flyers, websites and other media customer may use to research your merchandise. How up to date are the pictures on your website? Is your company logo and advertising current or does it have that 70’s look? This material also casts an impression on your customer and shows that you are attentive to detail. So with a little thought you can be sure you are offering your customers a wow experience every time they conduct business with your business.

 

Ted Saul provides business consulting that assists start-up and small businesses with organizational and planning needs. Ted hold an MBA from Regis University out of Denver Colorado and can be reached at t.saul@juno.com“>t.saul@juno.com, teds787 on Twitter and on LinkedIn.