Five Simple Ways to Create WOW Moments for your Clients and Customers
As a speaker and author on customer advocacy, as well as a small business owner, I am constantly on the lookout for ways to generate positive word-of-mouth by creating WOW customer service moments.
Customer experiences that add value, raise eyebrows, warm hearts, surprise and delight make people feel good about their decision to do business with you. It increases the perceived value of your product or service and compels them to share the experience with their social circles – online and offline. When customers get red-carpet treatment, they want their friends and family to enjoy the same quality of service. Exceptional customer experiences give your customers ‘bragging rights’ and every time they share their story with a friend, they’re not only doing a great marketing job on your behalf, they’re re-enforcing their own decision to remain loyal to you. This benefits your business in several ways: They will shop with you more often, they’re more likely to purchase new or premium products and they’re far more forgiving if things go wrong.
So how do you go that extra mile? How do you unlock the hidden potential of your existing customers and create in-store experiences that are so unexpected and memorable that your customers can’t help but become your unpaid, walking brand ambassador?
Acknowledgement of a milestone
If you did nothing else but acknowledge the key milestones that go on in the relationships with your customers, you would grow your business. For example, it might be your customer's tenth visit to you, which could trigger a surprise reward or gift. My mortgage broker recently sent me an ‘anniversary’ gift, which prompted me to refer a friend to him just a few weeks later.
Intangible value-add
You might choose to extend warranty, give your customer a link to a free online tutorial for their product or a card for free customer service access.
Discount or coupon for their next visit
This creates a great experience in that moment and also increases their probability to return.
Free sample of another product
By gifting this you're not only adding value, you're introducing your customer to a new product that they may purchase next time.
The 'Gift with Purchase' strategy is one that cosmetics companies use to single-handedly prop up their department store sales. What can you do in your business to add value? Is there a product you could have made available (or have made up) that has a high, perceived value, but is a low, real cost to you? As an example, try giving away free umbrellas with each purchase on rainy days, free sunscreen or bottled water on hot days or other relevant give-away that may cost you a fraction of the perceived value to have produced – all with your brand name on it of course!
