Wow Customer Service is more than just meeting expectations; it’s about crafting memorable experiences that resonate deeply with your customers. In today’s customer-centric business landscape, these “wow” moments are crucial for building a legendary reputation. Customers remember and retell stories, and you want them sharing positive narratives about your company. As a customer service consultant and trainer, instilling this principle is fundamental to my work with client organizations.
Opportunities to deliver wow customer service may not arise every day, but when they do, your team must be empowered and inspired. They should feel encouraged to leverage their creativity and all available resources to create magic for the customer.
In my role, I have the privilege of observing and enhancing customer service across diverse industries. Allow me to share a story from outside my usual office setting—a remarkable instance of plus-one customer service I witnessed on a luxury cruise.
Imagine yourself aboard Seabourn Cruise Line, a floating five-star resort. One morning, guests, including a husband and wife, were lining up to disembark for their shore excursion. As the wife walked down the ramp, she applied lotion to her hands. In a moment of unfortunate mishap, her wedding ring slipped off. It bounced off the ramp and plunged into the deep blue sea.
Understandably, she was devastated. Her husband offered comfort, and the empathetic crew assured them, “Please enjoy your day ashore. We will handle the insurance paperwork here on the ship so you can simply finalize it upon your return.”
However, this was no ordinary ring; it was a cherished family heirloom, truly irreplaceable.
Despite their distress, the couple proceeded with their shore excursion, though their hearts were heavy. Returning to their cabin that evening, they found a blinking voicemail light. It was a message from the concierge requesting their presence in the common area to speak with the captain.
They anticipated a sympathetic apology and the insurance documents. Instead, upon meeting the captain, he extended a box to the wife.
Inside?
Her ring.
Immediately after learning of the incident, the captain contacted nearby divers, persuading them to interrupt their schedule and search for the lost ring. Fortunately, the sea was calm and the visibility clear. Against the odds, they recovered the passenger’s heirloom.
If this isn’t wow customer service in action, what is? You might think such dramatic opportunities are rare in your own business. However, every organization has countless chances to assist customers in unexpected and exceptional ways. It could be as straightforward (yet disruptive to routine) as prioritizing the return of a lost wallet or cell phone.
These acts of going above and beyond, whether grand or small, become stories that customers cherish and share. For managers, it’s vital to recognize and celebrate employees who deviate from their planned tasks to deliver such unplanned, plus-one customer service. This dedication is a cornerstone of building world-class customer service and a truly customer-centric company.
