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.

Employees MAKE the Difference

I worked with a computer distributor who was selling the same products with the same bells and whistles as everyone else in the computer business. In discussing how they differentiated their offerings from others who sold the same products at the same prices, they told me their best differentiator was the person who installed the computer system, who decided to gently place it, not slam it down, on the customer’s table. Their mission statement reflected their attitude: “Our sustainable advantage will come from our people.” Put another way, “Our sustainable advantage will come from our first customers delivering the WOWEDFactor to our external customers.”

A company can spend many dollars on advertising, décor, mission statements and brochures. The ultimate influencer of service image, however, is the company person you’re dealing with. Do you know anybody who walked into a place of business, looked at the company logo or decor and said, “Wow, that looks great, I’m going to become a customer for life”? I’ve seen a lot of mission statements and can’t recall one that read, “Our sustainable advantage will come from the colors we use in our brochure.”

Firestone
firestone@wowedamerica.com
314-863-4000

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 .

Differentiation Strategy: Foundation for WOWEDFactor

• Do you believe your company has a competitive advantage?
• Do your prospects perceive your company has a competitive advantage?
• Do you know that you’re more right for your prospects than your sales numbers reflect?

Alka-Seltzer time?

If a business or organization continues to do what it has always done, it will get what it has always gotten. As demand for your category increases, your numbers will grow as long as you continue to get your share of the market. If, however, demand shrinks in the category, which so many have in this economic down-turn, in order to thrive (or survive), you have to take somebody else’s share. Businesses and Organizations pull ahead of the competition by further differentiating the customer experience.

The first step is to clearly establish compelling reasons why your offerings are more right for your prospects than the offerings of your competition. Whether one’s business is accounting, gasoline, groceries, healthcare, finance or insurance, clients/customers place value in two areas. They place value in your ability to solve a problem they’re experiencing. And, they place value in a client/customer experience that delivers on the EthicalFactor – trust (genuineness), credibility (believability) and partnership (client/customer focus and accountability).

How I Used the WOWEDFactor and Two Five-Cent Mints to Get On a Southwest Flight

I read in one of Tom Peters’ books about the individual who hurried into Beltramo’s Liquor Store in Palo Alto, Calif., told the clerk what he wanted and threw down his American Express card.  He wanted the clerk to move. That day American Express’s processing time was inordinately long. Customer became extremely frustrated. At whom -- American Express? No. His anger was directed at the clerk behind the counter. Finally, Amex approved. The clerk realized the customer’s frustration and how Beltramo’s service image was in jeopardy. He reached behind the counter and brought out two five-cent mints and put them in the customer’s bag. He thanked the customer for his business and asked him to accept mints as a small token of appreciation for the customer having to wait so long. His sincere words and action went beyond what the customer expected. The customer walked out feeling good about the clerk and Beltramo’s.  The clerk differentiated Beltramo’s by delivering the WOWEDFactor at a crucial touch point.  

Jack Buck and the WOWEDFactor

For two years, I had the opportunity to get to know the late, great Hall of Fame Sportscaster, Jack Buck.  Jack was the honorary chairman of the St. Louis Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, of which I served as Executive Director.  For all his “fame,” he was one of the most down to earth, caring individuals I’ve ever had the opportunity of knowing.  He consistently delivered the WOWEDFactor in his personal interactions by providing those he hardly knew with a “humanizing, engaging or connecting” experience. Three incidents come to mind.

• Whenever we would go to lunch, the first thing he would do, as soon as we sat down, was to give a few dollars to the bus people – not the wait staff.  He engaged these people and they responded in kind. Great move, Jack.
• Jack did a book signing at a local bookstore for the benefit of the Foundation.  There must have been 200 people lined up for his autograph and it must have taken a good two hours to do the signing.  I watched him for the duration and he never failed to talk “with” not “at” each individual.  What a gem.