“Do you know how to create a wow?” Prasna asked me on the phone yesterday.

“I think so.”

“Have you created a wow, recently?”

“I think so”

“Can you then write a post on ‘How to create a WOW!’?”

“Yes. Why do you want me to write about it?”

“Because ‘wow’ has become a cliché and I suspect people do not know what they are talking about. I want to make sure you know what you are talking about.”

“Can we talk about it a bit?”

“Sure.”

“Have you ever been ‘wowed’?”

“Several times.”

“Tell me about one recent instance.”

“It happened to me in a restaurant during my trip to a small village in Karnataka. I went there for breakfast. The waiter came to my table to take my order. I placed my order and opened my newspaper. Within five minutes, the waiter had brought my breakfast. I then noticed that he had brought something that I had not ordered.”

“Did that irritate you?”

“Normally it would have irritated me, but he had brought my favourite dish.”

“What did you do?”

“I called the waiter and asked him whether he had brought that by mistake. His answer ‘wowed’ me.”

“What did he say?”

“Sir, the last time you were here you had asked for this item. Unfortunately, we did not have it on that day’s menu. When I saw you, I remembered it and brought you this as well. I can take it back if you do not want it.”

“What about this ‘wowed’ you?

“First I did not expect him to remember me. I went to that restaurant after a gap of nearly three years. Second, I did not expect him to remember what I had asked for. Third, I did not expect him to use his initiative to bring me my favourite dish. Fourth, I did not expect him to be so nice and polite. Fifth, he seemed to take all decisions regarding his service to me. He did not seek any body’s permission to do what he did.”

“Have you narrated this story to anyone else?”

“I have not stopped telling this story yet. Stop asking me questions and start explaining about wow.”

“I have a formula that explains wow.”

“What formula is that?”

“Quality = Experience/Expectation”    

“How does this work?”

“   Take your restaurant example. If the waiter had served just what you ordered, it would have been acceptable to you; you would have been satisfied. Your experience would have matched your expectation.  In this Quality = 1. On the other hand,  if he took a long time to serve, or did not have what you ordered or was rude,  your experience would have been below your expectation. Therefore Quality = <1. This means that you are dissatisfied. In your case, what happened was your experience far exceeded your expectation. Therefore Quality = > 1. The larger this number more the chances of  being delighted and wowed. “

“I did not expect much, to start with.”

“That may be so. All that it means is that the higher your expectations more difficult it is to create a wow in relation to your expectations.”

“Is there any other way to create a wow?”

“Of course someone can create a wow by doing something you did not even think about. Marketing people talk about a latent, unexpressed need.”

“Tell me more.”

“I will give you an example. I wear a pair of spectacles. These have special glasses and cleaning them with a handkerchief leaves scratch marks on them. Therefore, I have to carry the special cloth that the optician provided with the glasses.  I often forget to take that during travel.  I was on a Kingfisher flight sometime ago. As we were nearing the destination, the flight attendant  approached me and offered to clean my spectacles for me. She had the special cloth meant for this purpose. I was delighted because I hate it when my glasses are not spotlessly clean.  She handed me the clean spectacles and fresh lens cloth with it. This was clearly a wow experience for me. As a flyer, my expectations were in the context of typical airline service (on time, decent food, clean toilet, courteous  staff etc.). Spectacle cleaning was outside the realm of my expectation in the flight.”

“Great example.  Can people create a wow by design?”

“Certainly.  I think the Kingfisher example is by design.  The way to do it to understand your customer’s expressed  as well as latent needs. Prepare a comprehensive list. Focus on his expressed needs and examine where you can far exceed his expectations. That is the first priority.“

“Why do you say so?”

“Take your restaurant example. If the waiter had offered to polish your shoes, when there is no sign of the food you would have been irritated.”

“Got it.”

“Focus on the latent needs thereafter. Pick opportunities carefully. Choose where it is easy for you to create maximum impact. Whatever you do must me simple to execute.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

“Did this conversation wow you?”

“No. You get a one on one.”