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Delivering a “WOW” experience can generate enormous goodwill and viral pass-along – as I realized during our recent 4 day holiday in Coorg and Mysore.
We were booked into a home-stay in Coorg. Raksh Cottage was a delightful place, right out of a story-book. Clean, comfortable and nestled quietly in the heart of a coffee estate, we woke up every morning to a rich variety of bird-calls, the scent of diverse spices, and the sight of colorful blossoms.
Just the accommodation and delicious cuisine would leave a guest feeling happy and satisfied. But the proprietors of Raksh Cottage go beyond… and deliver a “Wow” experience!
Starting at 10 a.m. and before we even arrived at their homestead many hours later, Mr.Sujay Subbiah called my cell-phone four times – to check if we needed any directions, to make sure we weren’t accidentally taking a longer detour, and to invite us to dine at Raksh Cottage that night.
Without being annoying or intrusive, he conveyed the impression of being available to lend a helping hand… and we appreciated his concern, as this was our first visit to Coorg.
When we finally reached Siddapur, at 8:30 p.m. (after touring Srirangapatnam, the historical seat of famous Mysore ruler, Tippu Sultan), Sujay went over and above – by driving out to meet us! He guided us down the unfamiliar mud-roads, through a partly hidden gap in the row of trees, and up a tiny incline that led up the driveway to Raksh Cottage.
Without his assistance, we would surely have missed that turn!
A delicious dinner left us stuffed and satiated. When we woke up the next morning, Sujay took our family on a walk around a portion of his 35 acre coffee and spice (pepper) plantation, patiently and passionately answering even our silliest questions.
It lasted almost an hour and a half – and was easily the best part of our trip!
We returned for breakfast, and met Mrs.Subbiah. She instantly established a warm rapport with the kids, my sister and wife, and soon they were prattling away about the best shopping spots (the ‘Green Shop’ in Madikeri came highly recommended) and where to eat (it was a toss-up between ‘Rajdarshan’ and ‘Crystal Palace’).
If you’ve ever tried to find a good eatery or store in a strange place on your own, you’ll realize the value of these recommendations!
It was these personal touches that led me to write in the Raksh Cottage guestbook, when the time came for us to reluctantly leave:
“Coming to Raksh Cottage was more like visiting family than staying in a resort. We look forward to repeating the experience – and bringing along our friends too.”
True, ‘Good enough’ would have left us satisfied. But the ‘Wow’ experience we had simply delighted us.
We talked about it. And I wrote this blog post – which you are now reading. (Maybe you’ll share it with YOUR friends!)
Points to ponder:
How can you create a ‘Wow’ experience in your business?
What do you think it will generate, in repeat sales or referrals, as compared to the cost of delivering it? Is it worth creating?
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