"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."

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.

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.

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. 

WOWEDFactor: $1.39 Bootie Investment at Walgreens

In one of our Pullingahead/WOWEDFactor workshops, I had a distributor of home entertainment systems approach me and say he was challenged to differentiate because as a distributor he provided the same products at basically the same price points as his competition.  He thought that lowering his prices was the ticket to a competitive advantage.

Certainly the easy solution, but not the way to go.

Instead, we looked for ways to "de-commoditize" -- focusing on all the crucial touch points that made up his service image.  He concluded that how his home entertainment systems were installed could significantly impact his service image.

1-800 "Shell, You Got a Problem!"

I get a great gig.  I'm brought down to Houston by Shell Oil Company to do some workshops for the folks who answer their 1-800 number.  I'm there as part of their "Experience the Difference  - You Make the Difference" customer service program.  The essence of the program: if customers are to "experience the difference," employees need to "make the difference."  Makes so much sense.
 
Let's just say the people who call into the Houston center aren't doing so to thank Shell for the great experience.  They're calling because something is wrong.  Their bill is wrong.  They received poor service.  The pricing is unfair. etc.  Essentially, when they call they're saying, "I'm about to drop your brand!"

Bud Bottle and the Rose Bud

At our Ethical Selling System seminar, the Director of Sales for Missouri Eagle, an Anheuser-Busch distributor, shared with me a WOWEDSighting he regularly delivered to his customers, who are convenience store managers.

If the manager is a woman, every time he calls on their store, he presents her with a long-stem rose bud in an empty Bud bottle.

Let's  re-visit our WOWEDFactor definition.  In essence, it's a humanizing, engaging or connecting interaction that builds value for the person who delivers it and the company s/he represents.

He explained to me that once he engaged his customers in a genuine WOWEDFactor interaction, their perception of trust and confidence was enhanced.  As a result, the dollar value of the transaction was enhanced.  This is the formula upon which the Ethical Selling System is based: delivering humanizing, engaging or connecting interactions will enhance the value of transactions.  More later on how this approach has been applied successfully to develop business in different industries and professions.

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

Employees of Arrow Limo in Monmouth, NJ Deliver the WOWEDFactor

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to present my seminar: WOWEDFactor – You Are the Difference for Arrow Limousine Company in Monmouth County, New Jersey. (They service the NYC metro area.) What an impressive company. They get the WOWEDFactor and the business impact of regularly and consistently delivering it. If you're looking for some WOWEDSightings and are going to be in the New York area, give them a call: 1-800-88-ARROW.

My favorite story ... the driver who picked me up from the airport explained that whenever he has an early pickup, he'll call the customer the night before and explain he'll be stopping by Starbucks and would like to know what he could pick up for them! WOWEDSighting big time. Customer wins. And, inasmuch as a significant amount of his earnings are tips, he wins. And, inasmuch as a significant amount of business comes from referrals, Arrow wins.

WOWEDFactor and Shell Dealers

A few years ago I was doing a series of “how to add value” workshops for Shell dealers across the country. I always started off with the question: “Is service good or bad today?” The overwhelming response: “It’s bad.” My follow-up question: “Is that good or bad for you?” Overwhelming response: “It’s bad.” My response: “It’s good.” Overwhelming response: perplexed looks … which, by the way, is not an unusual response in my workshops!

Applying the core – outer core model, I explain that if the core is small – people don’t expect much from the typical service station experience, what an opportunity to stand out, to differentiate .

Anheuser-Busch: Transitioning the Customer Call Center to the Customer Relationship Group

I had the opportunity to do a series of WOWEDFactor seminars for Anheuser-Busch on transitioning their Customer Call Center, which was staffed by 50 full-time Customer Information Specialists, to the Customer Relationship Group, staffed by 50 full-time Customer Experience Professionals. Their vision was that they could enhance brand loyalty if they set their sights on developing relationships vs. merely providing information. This was consistent with their mission: "Making Friends is Our Business." In essence they wanted to transition from being in the Transaction Business to being in the Interaction Business.

What an exciting project to work on and people to work with … they “got it.” They realized that when they were in the Customer Call Center business, the litmus test for a successful call was simply: did they provide the right information. They also realized that the potential value of each call was underutilized with only providing the requested information. If they could create a call experience by delivering the WOWEDFactor, they would build brand loyalty and company value.