Bottom-Line Case for Businesses to Deliver WOWEDFactor Experiences

WOWEDFactor Definition: a customer service experience that was so extraordinary, "humanizing, engaging or connecting," your perception of the person you were dealing with, and consequently the business or organization, became significantly enhanced

Many businesses don't seem to get the fact that when their employees deliver WOWEDFactor experiences, they go beyond being merely in the "transaction" business into the rarified air of being in the "interaction" business.  This results in "fully engaged customers."  And, the impact of fully engaged customers was captured by the Gallop Organization in a 2005 Study:

WOWEDFactor: Significant Differentiator for All Types of Businesses? Not Necessarily

Specifically, if a person has a WOWEDSighting -"a humanizing, engaging or connecting interaction" at a ... (restaurant, hotel, hospital, call center, car rental airport, visitor center, etc.) does it increase the likelihood that s/he will come back, buy more and/or refer others?

Is the WOWEDFactor a "crucial touchpoint" for all types of businesses?  Is it a path that all should pursue to differentiate and pullahead of their competition?  The answer to all question: not necessarily - it depends on the type of business.

WOWEDSighting: My Hyatt Regency North Dallas WOWEDFactor Experience

Dates of WOWEDSightings: May 11-13, 2011.       

My Testimony: In my many years of business travel, I have never had a hotel experience that could be defined as pure “interaction” (as opposed to “transaction”). That is until May 11-13 when I stayed at the Hyatt Regency North Dallas. Perhaps the best way to describe my experience is that at every interaction (and there were several) I didn’t feel like a “hotel customer” as much as a “guest in the home” of a hotel staffer. The WOWEDFactor components (humanizing, engaging, connecting) were delivered again and again throughout my two day stay. A few of my WOWEDSightings: Carmen – the most amazing breakfast greeting; you’d have to see it to believe it. Toy – at lunch, remembered me from breakfast, reminded me that I had to eat my vegetables to get dessert! – playful and tasteful banter. Freddie approaches me and asks me about my stay. Sonya – comes to my room from her position at the front desk to help me adjust my room thermostat. David, Juan and Sal … more playful and tasteful banter. All genuine interactions; all WOWEDSightings. My hat is off to managers Dominic and Cheryl – I felt that I spent two days hanging out with friends. WOWEDFactor delivered by staff; business value enhanced for Hyatt Regency.

Unappreciated Employees Yield Few Customer WOWEDFactor Experiences

Simply amazing that this goes on ...

WOWEDSighting Certificate of Sighting Jeremey Daricek, Dobbs Tire & Auto

Date/Time of WOWEDSighting: April 4, 2011; 2:00 pm
WOWEDSighting Recipient:  Rob Kodner


Testimony: I was seeking a quote on a set of tires so that I could compare Dobb's price to some of the local discounters. I went there because of their ads on TV which detailed their warranty for repairs, rotation and replacement for the life of the tires. In the process of obtaining the quote, the Sales Manager, Jeremey Daricek, offered a discount plus a $40.00 rebate from the maker of the tire.  I thanked him, said I would compare his quote to others that I would receive and then get back to him. I started to exit the store when he stopped me to see what it would take to sell me those tires today.

WOWEDSighting: Cafe Press

WOWEDSighting Alert!  Occurred at Cafe Press: www.cafepress.com, described on their web site as: "The world's favorite place to find or make unique T-shirts and gifts."  I believe it!

My daughter had a shirt sent out for my birthday (Vandelay Industries ala Seinfeld) and chose the wrong size.  Just called there to ask about exchange and they said, "We'll send you the Medium. And, because you're a first timer, we don't want you to do through the hassle of sending back the Large, so you keep it!" WOWED! What a class company.

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

WOWEDFactor Foundation: EthicalFactor

I am the principal of the Ethical Selling Institute, a subsidiary of Sempact, Inc. We provide training, speaking (keynotes, breakouts) and coaching services to businesses and organizations on how to pull ahead of the competition by building more of the EthicalFactor, which is comprised of Trust (genuineness), Credibility (believability) and Partnership (customer focus and accountability), in to their products and services. We believe that the ability of entities to deliver the EthicalFactor has much more to do with crucial interactions employees have with customers/clients/guests/patients than with what's in a mission statement or customer commitment policy. (Hereinafter, any reference to businesses should be read to include organizations and any references to customers should be read to include clients/guests/patients.)

WOWEDSightings: Bottom-Line Impact

What's the business impact of WOWEDSightings (humanizing, engaging or connecting brand ambassador interactions) that deliver perception:

• You’re as concerned about my welfare/business as I am.
• You want to be fully accountable.
• You really understand what I’m dealing with.
• You want me to have the best solution even if it means less business to you.

Depending on the industry, the bottom-line impact can be: greater differentiation; more sales overall; more sales per customer; greater customer count; testimonials and referrals.

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

I Don't Get Sinclair - They're Missing an Opportunity

Recently I went to Phillips to do a "partial" fill up.  I noticed that the Sinclair station across the street was a full cent cheaper.  Further, I noticed that the cent cheaper got you "full service," whereby an attendant does the gas pumping -- twas not the case at Phillips.  (Note: I know this about Sinclair.  However, if one didn't know they did the full service, it easily could go unnoticed because there are no signs, etc. making the public aware.)  And, I also noticed that the Phillips station was completely full ... people waiting in line, not so with the Sinclair station.

WOWEDFactor Programs: On Target to Impact What Types of Businesses?

Here are some some types of businesses/organizations whose front-line people's ability to deliver the WOWEDFactor could significantly influence business value through enhanced loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising (as well as additional sales):

    * Banks.  Teller's are the front-line interface.  Their ability to engage is crucial to building brand.

    * Hotels.  Service image has everything to do with all the interactions guests have with employees.  Article that explores example of where hotel front desk clerk delivers: Adding Value to Your Products and Services: Learn to Differentiate Your Offerings

Value of the Wal-Mart Greeter?

I'm a Wal-Mart fan.  My wife and I have a Friday-night ritual that includes a grocery shop there.

My favorite part: the Wal-Mart greeter. Most of the time, I get a WOWEDSighting (a humanizing, engaging or connecting customer service interaction that positively influences my staying a "fan"); some of the time I don't.

Recently, I had an experience where the "greeter" looked right thru me and mumbled a plastic, "Thanks for shopping at Wal-Mart."  It was an "OW"edSighting -- the inverse of a WOWEDSighting.  (See Post) My thought:  they'd be better of not having a greeter, than running the risk of an "OW"edSighting.

WOWEDSighting Certificate of Sighting: Desiree Davis, McDonald's, Columbia, IL

Congratulations to Desiree Davis for delivering a WOWEDFactor experience to Dawn LaFata.  Dawn's testimony: 

I went through the drive through, like I do almost every morning, and ordered a large diet coke. I always ask for extra ice because there just isn't enough ice in those cups. But this day, a woman handed me my soda, looked and me and instead of saying her scripted “have a nice day,” said, "Hi! Would you like an extra cup of ice?" I said, "Yes, I would, thank you!" Then she handed it to me. I was just so surprised that she remembered my request for ice, and I didn't even have to ask for it. Thank you, Desiree, for my WOWEDFactor experience! And, thank you McDonald’s for having Desiree as your employee! I could go to a lot of different places to get my diet coke. Because of Desiree, the McDonald's at 300 Columbia Ctr. in Columbia, IL gets my business!

I spoke with the store manager, Erica Hunter.  She totally endorsed Desiree's actions, explaining that the WOWEDFactor is what builds loyalty.  I applaud Desiree for her Sighting and Erica for establishing a culture where WOWEDSightings can happen.

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

"Push on the Back of the Car" - What I Learned from a NJ Shell Dealer About Perceived Value

So, I'm doing an "Experience the Difference - You Make the Difference" workshop for Shell Oil dealers in New Jersey and we're talking about how the WOWEDFactor could be an effective differentiator.  A dealer approaches me and says he differentiates the full-service experience by having his people clean the back window -- something that is valued by his customers and that his competition doesn't do.  He goes on to explain, however, that perception is everything -- if the customer doesn't know he's cleaned the back window, he hasn't.

He pulls me over to a table to demonstrate how he teaches his process.  "Let's assume we're at the back of the car driver side and that you've got the squeegee in your right hand.  Before you start cleaning the window, you want to take your left hand and push on the back of the car.  Customer turns around and you've got on a big smile as your squeegee goes to work."

Establishing a WOWEDFactor Culture: Foundation for WOWEDFactor Differentiator

Had a great conversation today with Howard Purdy, Executive Vice President of Maid Brigade.  This guy gets it.  He gets the WOWEDFactor and he gets the fact that establishing a WOWEDFactor culture is foundation for the regular and consistent delivery of the WOWEDFactor.  Our conversation brought to mind something I wrote five years ago:

"The more that employees feel humanized, engaged or connected by their managers (sound familiar?), the more job 'ownership' they perceive and the more energy and insight they bring to their interactions with their customers. Here’s what it’s about: If managers can bring home the WOWEDFactor to their internal customers (employees), they will establish a culture where employees perceive ownership, and that will beget greater differentiation with external customers and enhanced loyalty, and, ultimately greater profitability." From article written in 2006:  WOWEDFactor: A Key to Business Differentiation

Do you agree?

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

WOWEDFactor Touch Points and Logan College of Chiropractic

Several years ago I was asked to speak to the marketing class at Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO. I began by asking the students what were the crucial Moments of Truth that ultimately define the service image of chiropractors.

Moment of Truth: Any interaction between a chiropractor, his or her office and his or her patients (both positive and negative, external and internal, animate and inanimate) that influences perceptions of service image.

I asked them to determine which were the most important, when it came to defining the service image ... the 4s and 5s on the 5-point scale.  Here's what they told me. (Crucial Moments of Truth (MOTs) and suggested Action Plan to effectively deliver on each MOT.)  What's particularly interesting is that if one is to excel in each of these Moments of Truth, many times it requires delivery of the WOWEDFactor components ... a "humanizing, engaging or connecting" interaction.  I thought they did an excellent job.

WOWEDSighting Certificate of Sighting: Chris, Phillips 66 - Fairview Heights, IL

Experience a WOWEDSighting?  Tell us about it -- www.IWasWOWED.com!  If our Advisory Board says it's a "5" on a "5-Point Scale," the WOWER will receive the Certificate of Sighting and we'll post it here!

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

WOWEDFactor Differentiators: Shell Station and the Helium Balloon"Mom, let's go to McDonald's and let's go to the Shell station!"

While doing an Experience the Difference - You Make the Difference workshop in Michigan, a dealer approached me and explained how he was selling more full-service gasoline than anybody in town and that he was charging a higher price. I was intrigued and inquired how this was happening. He answered with an explanation of an occurrence that happened with regularity every Saturday: A car pulls into full service with kid in the back seat; attendant taps on the back window; kid brings the window down and is presented with a helium balloon, replete with the station’s name. (WOWEDFactor alert!) Needless to say, a happy kid begets a happy parent, which begets a fill up, drinks and repeat business.

Further, the dealer told me that the following parent-child conversations happen with regularity on Saturday mornings in that Michigan town: kids get in the family car and state their requests for the day: “Mom, let’s go to the park; let’s go to McDonalds; and, let’s go to the Shell Station!” This service station owner redefined who his customer was and differentiated his product by giving his “customers” a WOWEDFactor experience. He transformed the customer mindset from “we’ve got to go to the service station” to “we get to go”! Did that dealer’s gas work any better than anybody else’s? Hardly.

Interested in a WOWEDFactor Opportunity Audit?  Contact me.  We'll determine where your "helium balloons" opportunities are.

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

Ask WOWEDAMERICA Letters: Options to Compete Other Than Lowering Prices

I received an email recently from a retailer who felt her only option in this market was to drastically cut her prices in order to keep pace with the competition.  She questioned whether there were alternatives. 

My response was there are other options to evaluate.  First, take a step back and ask who are your "Promoters," those customers who, if asked, would refer you to others.  Promoters buy more, pay their bills on time and are responsible for 80-90% of referrals.

WOWEDFactor Essential: Employees Need to Have a "Piece of the Rock"

There is amazing opportunity for businesses to differentiate their offerings when employees regularly deliver WOWEDFactor experiences.

(WOWEDFactor Definition: a customer service experience that was so extraordinary, "humanizing, engaging or connecting," your perception of the person you were dealing with, and consequently the business or organization, became significantly enhanced)

In order for employees to want to deliver the WOWEDFactor, they have to have a sense of ownership; they must have a "piece of the rock." 

AT&T Technicians: Delivering the WOWEDFactor = Success In SellingCase Study

•  Question One: Is it possible to teach service technicians to sell effectively?  My answer: Absolutely YES.

• Question Two: Would the best strategy be to teach conventional selling techniques, like "how to close a sale" and "how to handle objections"?  My answer: Absolutely NO.

Had an opportunity to develop and deliver a series of seminars for AT&T technicians on how to sell extended warranty agreements to their business customers when they were on a repair call.  Initially the request to us was: "Teach our people techniques to get clients to buy the agreements."  In essence, the request was for the zero-sum manipulative selling stuff. (e.g., "The 10 key words to get people to buy now!"  "The 5 most effective closes."  "How to handle objections.") My take on these approaches: they only service to compromise the perception of trust and integrity - not enhance it.