Creating A WOW Experience For Your Customers

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an idea Thursday.” As part of this tradition, I’ll be sharing with you my experiences and interpretations for each week’s topic for those of you who sell products or services online.

I invite you to grab our image over there to the right and carry the tradition through to your own blog. If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is: Spark an Idea about Creating a WOW Experience.

Naturally, when I heard this topic, I started thinking about customer service and awesome ways that small business owners can really make their customers say, “Wow!”

I also thought that with Jenn being our eBay Go-To Woman, she might have a slightly different perspective than I do. So we chatted about this topic on the phone for a bit and I put together this list of ways to create a WOW experience in your online business.

1. Jenn said that from a buyer’s persective, she is WOW’d by added bonuses with real value that arrive unexpectedly with her order. She said that the bonus must have real value, and be something more than just the typical free shipping.

She suggested adding a free sample of a new product for a customer to try, throwing in an extra, complementary item with the product purchased. She cautioned though that the extras must be of actual value – not just a $10 gift certificate when everything in your store is $80 or more.

2. Going above and beyond to provide your product quickly and with great quality is another way to give your customer’s that WOW experience. Just this week, I had a client order a banner advertisement as part of my Watersweb Hot Summer Sale. He sent in his order and within a few hours, I had the banner done, revised and returned to him.

His response:

Just got in and saw the banner! Wow!!!!! That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking! Great, awesome, stupendous!

Now, that was a WOW experience for him! Getting things done fast and done right is a sure-fire way of impressing your customers.

3. Jenn and I both agreed that unexpected follow up makes us think, “Wow!”

One thing that I teach my clients is that when a customer complains, or if you see there is a problem with their order, this is a perfect time to call up the customer, see how their doing, find out what is going on, and most importantly, find out what you can do better.

The side effect of this phone call for the customer is that she is thrilled her problem has been taken care of – and WOW’d that you called her out of the blue to handle it quickly and efficiently.

Of course, sometimes you can’t make a phone call, so even an email that you send is better than just waiting for the customer to call you.

And of course, you can contact your customers randomly and out of the blue to find out how their doing and what you can do to help them.

Make sense?

Head out there and start WOWing your customers!