“Wow” is an exclamation of astonishment, and to “astonish” is to surprise greatly. So, by adding the WOW Factor, we are really talking about making your clients “feel” something. We want them to feel excitement. We want them to admire, approve, appreciate and even adore what you do for them. And to create excitement, anticipation and astonishment, you need to surprise every prospect and client who comes into your world.

So, how do you surprise your clients?

A “surprise” is defined as an unexpected event (could be good or bad, but obviously we’re talking about the good kind), and “to surprise” is to cause feeling of wonder and amazement.

That might sound like a tall order, but it’s very doable, and I’ll show you how in this article.

To create these feelings of wonder and excitement, you essentially need to “up” the customer experience at every touch point that exists with a client or prospect. I suggest you flow-chart your process for how someone comes into your business and what happens once they become a client:

• What happens when they land on your website?
• What happens when they fill in an application form?
• What happens when you answer the phone?
• What happens when they pay you a deposit?
• What happens when you meet them in person?
• What happens when they first sample your service?
• What happens when they refer someone?
• What happens when they give a testimonial?

Then once you’ve flow-charted it, you need to ask yourself, “How can I sprinkle some pixie dust on this process to create a ‘WOW’ experience?” By mapping out the customer journey, you can look for ways to quickly move people from being a warm lead to a paying customer, or from a semi-regular customer to someone who buys every day, or from being a customer who buys your regular service to being a premium “Gold Service” customer.

You can make a lot more money in your daycare business by paying more attention to your business processes. Another way to describe this is to “Disnify” the experience. For example, here’s how my friend Vance “Disnified” his carpet cleaning business. The guys who work for him have a very special (and strict) process they follow which creates a unique and unforgettable experience, and it includes the following steps:

• First up, when any of his guys attend an appointment, they park in the street, not on the driveway, just in case they have an oil leak in the van (something else they would have to clean up). That’s amazing attention to detail, and something else Vance learned from Disney.
• Then they leave the van wearing a crisp, clean uniform. (They also carry an extra uniform in the van in case they get dirty on a previous job.)
• They carry with them a special rug (not to be confused with a magic carpet—Vance lives in Maryland, not Disneyland!), their toolbox and a special gift for the client.
• When they reach the door, they lay down their special rug and knock on the door rather than ring the bell (because “friends knock, salespeople ring”).
• They take a step back, because the last thing the owner wants is to see a six-foot strapping tradesman leering through the glass at them.
• The door opens and the guy says, “Hi, my name is Stephen. I’m here to create your healthy home. May I come in?”
• Then, before entering, they make an exaggeration of wiping their feet on the mat (remember, they are performing a show here) and then, when invited, they enter the home and present the client with a gift.

Let me ask you, when was the last time you received a gift from a business you spent some money with?

Exactly! It almost never happens. Talk about WOW Factor!

And that is just a carpet cleaning business…Your business is about the care of your clients’ four-pawed pride and joy. So, this is definitely something you can do in your daycare and boarding business.

Here are a few examples of how pet professionals can add “WOW” to the everyday, boring and mundane processes in their business. These examples can be mixed and matched between professions, and they range from easy and inexpensive additions to projects that require a little more work, but add a lot more WOW.

1. Show the clients how safe their dogs are in your facility by sharing videos that demonstrate the safe and stimulating experience you provide.
2. After five or 10 visits, present your clients with a “Canine Certificate of Adventurely Achievement” that tells them their dog has graduated to being an official member of your canine family.
3. Once a quarter, hold an “Open Day” for your pet parents to show them what goes on behind the scenes at your facility, and each client can (or must) bring one dog-owning friend to the event.

1. Reassure your new clients by creating a grooming system pictorial chart that shows them how you’ll create the perfect experience for their dog.
2. Take it a step further and make it a bespoke styling experience by letting the client choose which shampoo you use.
3. Create a fake/pretend magazine cover that features your best clients’ dogs as “Canine Cover Girls” (and boys).

1. Provide weekly or daily “school reports” for the dogs in your care.
2. Invest in school uniform-type apparel for dogs and their owners (e.g. T-shirts, bandanas).
3. Give recognition to your best clients by creating a “Head Hound” of the week (like a head boy/girl in a class) and profile their personality on your K9 Wall of Fame.