Creating the “WOW!” experience
In our franchise networks, Stain Busters Cleaning Systems in Australia and You’ll Say WOW Carpet Cleaning in New Zealand, we have certainly created the WOW Factor.
One of the ingredients in any WOW factor is your point of difference. In both franchise networks, we have a slogan: “We’ve built a business on the stains others have given up on.”
While that slogan is undeniably true, it does more than simply convey what we did that our opposition could not. We created a platform for all franchisees to deliver to that standard. Those that didn’t follow our system fell by the wayside.
When the opportunity arrived to set up a franchise in New Zealand the name Stain Busters had been taken so we had to find another equally powerful name.
Initially it was WOW Carpet Cleaning. Then we modified it with two words in small print and a big WOW. The name came from our experiences directly at the coalface. That name is “You’ll say WOW Carpet Cleaning.”
At Stain Busters it had become commonplace to hear customers say “WOW! You removed those stains that have been there for years that no one else could remove” or similar.
While there were many variations on how it was said, this type of comment occurred most days with our franchisees. With constant reinforcement from clients, we knew we had the WOW Factor.
At the West Coast Bar and Grill we created six different themed areas with a magnificent feature in the middle that included a tree, a waterfall and a storm with sound effects. A helicopter is crashing through one wall with an effigy of me inside it, in a frightened state. The creators of the effigy photographed me cawing like a crow many times over to capture the look they wanted.
The plan was to create an experience that customers would talk about after they left and in so doing create more interest among other folk who heard them.
The sound effects of a loud storm, the noise of the helicopter and the subsequent events after the storm do not please everyone. Probably 15% of the customer base would prefer it wasn’t there.
We have no issue with this; while we might lose a few customers, the other 85% bring their friends and visitors for the experience.
Customers rave about our menu, and the friendly nature of our staff. Table reservations are almost essential and as we go to print, we have refreshed the menu with innovative and delicious West Coast specials.
Although 15% of our customers may be displeased with the sound effects, we know that their comments also result in more customers. They may mention the aspects that they didn’t like at their place of work or in a social situation and others, perhaps without saying so, decide that they should go and check it out for themselves.
What the 15% don’t like is the noise. The storm is loud and for about 30 seconds it disrupts conversation. In the beginning, we also had lightning and wind effects.
For the lightning to be visible, the lights had to be switched off and the wind was lost due to the size of the room. The sound effect of the wind was great although our initial attempts at creating blasts of wind were not that great and we ultimately decided that a strong wind through the restaurant was not quite appropriate.
We get congratulatory comments every day about our WOW factor and further testimony of its success is the high rate of repeat visits and referrals.
At the West Coast Brewery, we have not yet completely developed the WOW factor. Yes, we have created an image with “Arguably the World’s Most Perfect Beer – GREEN FERN ORGANIC”. Its taste will certainly make you say, WOW!
However, at the brewery itself we have a long way to go although we have reinvented ourselves with staff that embraces our culture, dreams and aspirations.
LESSON FROM THE COALFACE: You can never create and maintain a WOW factor if the wrong people are on the bus. An “employee amputation” is sometimes the only solution.
In the future, we shall be building two more breweries and they will have a built-in WOW factor. In the meantime, we are making progress and introducing small and identifiable WOW factors at the brewery.
The WOW factor takes time to build, it doesn’t just happen. It is built one facet at a time. It might begin with your signage, your uniforms, the way you meet and greet visitors and clients, the ambience, the packaging, and the FREE factor. Most important of all is the disposition of your team and their attitude and acceptance of the company’s culture. It boils down to what the visitor, client or customer takes away with them by way of a WOW impression.
Don’t be concerned if at this point you say WOW, I don’t have a WOW factor. WOW factors are a product of the imagination and often take time to evolve and develop.
LESSON FROM THE COALFACE: Begin with the simple decision that you are going to create a WOW FACTOR. Once that seed is planted, ideas will pop into your mind. Before long, you will have a firm plan and from then it’s just a matter of implementing it and improving on it as you go.
When I ask business owners about their WOW factor and points of difference (which are not necessarily the same thing), more than 90% claim service and quality are theirs.
This is absolute rubbish. Service and quality are a given; every business that survives has them. Sure, we need to strive for perfection within the quality of the service or product we deliver, but that alone will not get us in to the upper echelons of success in business.
To refute that and prove an exception to the rule, one company that does have the WOW factor with its service and quality is Lexus, the luxury car division of Toyota. They take it to the extreme and as far as I’m aware, no other car company comes within a country mile of them.
As I write this, I have not long returned from a visit to the local Lexus dealer. I have decided to buy one, my second, although this one will be new.
My friend, Peter alerted me to the “LEXUS experience”. He was an avid Mercedes owner but one day when we caught up, he was driving a Lexus. Perplexed, I asked him why he had changed because previously the only car that existed in his world was Mercedes. The story went something like this:
“Christine and I decided to buy a new Mercedes. It is really her car as I’ve taken to driving the Land Cruiser now that we are on the farm. One Saturday morning we headed to the Mercedes dealer on the Gold Coast and walked into the showroom to check out what was available. We intended to make a purchase that day.
A very attractive young Japanese woman arrived in the showroom at the same time as us. She was a stunning example of Japanese beauty. There were two male sales representatives on duty and they both immediately started vying for her attention. Christine and I spent about ten or fifteen minutes looking at various models and one in particular that interested us. It was a top of the range sedan and we had the doors open and were fussing around this delightful car for some time. It really appealed to us and subject to the sales staff responding to a few queries we had pretty much made up our mind to buy it.
Meanwhile down the other end of the showroom, the two sales representatives were making a play around a convertible that interested the young Japanese woman. We did not exist as far as they were concerned. This young woman had hooked two fish and no doubt was playing them to her best advantage.
After the frustration of being ignored had well and truly set in, I said to Christine, “Stuff this, we will go to Brisbane next weekend and buy one there. So we left. As we walked away, there was still no response from the other end of the building. We would have been there for about twenty to twenty five minutes I suppose by the time we departed.
I was not happy about the way we had been treated. The service we had previously received from this dealership was beyond question.
Anyway, we were driving home and we went past the Lexus dealership and thought, what the hell, we have time to spare, let’s go and have a look.
Well… we pulled up in the forecourt and that’s where it began.
An immaculately dressed young man was immediately there to open Christine’s door. He led us into the showroom and sat us down in these sumptuous chairs. Out came the tea, served in bone china and some cream cakes. We chatted for some time and I swear he could write a book about how much he found out about the both of us in a very short space of time.
To cut to the chase we bought a Lexus that day and we could not be happier.
Paddy, do you know they wash and polish our Lexus every week. When there are big shows in Brisbane like Cats, we get the best seats courtesy of Lexus. Not only that, but when we get there, there is chocolate and champagne and they are the best seats in the house.”
He went on to describe many other aspects of the service from Lexus and how much he had been impressed.
Now here’s the point: throughout our discussion, Peter never once mentioned the features of the car. He did such a great job of selling me the incredible after-sales service they received that I wanted to buy a Lexus. That is what you call a WOW factor.
Of course, Lexus has a raft of other points of difference for which you pay double the price of one of their “badged” competitors. Their WOW factor service has led me to buy one car already and shortly another.
Within Stain Busters Cleaning Systems and You’ll Say WOW Carpet Cleaning, we constantly strive to maintain and further develop our WOW Factor.
At The West Coast Bar and Grill, we strive to do the same and we have an ongoing programme to do the same at the West Coast Brewery.
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