In the hospitality industry "wow factor" is a phrase not only used, but something the industry strives to achieve in the service they provide. There is a short list of companies that are noted and revered for consistently achieving this service level. The challenge that we see is executing and delivering the "wow factor" is often misunderstood.

Here's what I mean, as a consumer, we expect a certain level of good, consistent service and anything above this is a bonus. This isn't close to the level of service we are talking about regarding "wow." Studies show that 65% of customers that are "satisfied" will end up taking their business somewhere else for a better offer (better service). Customers are not "wowed" by expected service, but rather by the unexpected service provided that met a need they didn't even know they had. This is what separates the "good" from the "great."

When dealing with customers, you can clearly convey "no" without ever having to say the word. For example, iInstead of "no, we don't have that," try saying, "I certainly see how that would be useful and helpful, but I'm afraid we don't have that at this time," or "While we don't currently have what you are looking for, we appreciate knowing what you want so that we can continue to improve our service." Positive language, delivered correctly keeps the door open for future customer interactions, and the customer will not feel as though it was a waste of their time. 

There is so much to learn from those who have proven themselves to be great in their field. So who better to learn from than the great hotelier himself, Bill Marriott. I have enormous respect for this man and the empire that his family built beginning in 1927 with a nine-stool root beer stand that grew into the Hot Shoppes Restaurant chain and evolved into today’s Marriott International hotel company. His success is obvious, but what I love about this company is the attention to important details that are always put forth by a simple, basic, and very actionable message, as you can see above in Mr. Marriott's 12 Rules of Being a Successful Manager. This is how 90 years later Marriott business is more than booming.