Exceed expectations and boost the number of external fans of your work and brand
5 inspiring real-life examples
We all want to score a 9+ from our customers. Customer appreciation means loyalty, enthusiasm, and a high recommendation rate. That recommendation rate is the best indicator of long-term revenue growth. But how do you achieve a 9+? How do you create true fans of your brand and your offering? Be inspired by these five exceptional examples!
Superpromoters in the making, here’s how they do it…
Meeting expectations leads, at best, to copycat behavior: seeing someone buy, makes others buy. But if you rise above expectations, people may recommend your brand when asked. And if you do exceptionally well, giving customers something they didn’t even ask for, you earn ultimate fans, superpromoters, who will shout your praises from the rooftops.
Surprising and exceeding customer expectations is the way to boost appreciation for your brand and increase revenue. As an organization, you need to consistently take that extra step. You must look for the Wow effect. And that’s not always easy. To inspire you, here are several examples.
Zappos: shoes and pizza… whatever you need
Tony Hsieh, co-founder and CEO of Zappos.com, once spent time at a conference with several executives from Skechers. Back at the hotel, one Skechers executive wanted to order a pizza. Unfortunately, room service was no longer available.
Tony challenged one of the Skechers managers to call Zappos customer service, and put the call on speaker. The Zappos employee who picked up had no idea the CEO was listening in. The Skechers manager explained the issue: hungry, craving pizza, no room service.
After a short pause, the Zappos representative returned with a list of nearby pizzerias that delivered late. The Skechers manager was stunned. Tony Hsieh? Not surprised at all.
The fairmont hotels & resorts “Hotel Dog”
This hotel chain is known for employees with a strong sense of ownership. One front-desk employee in Vancouver introduced the idea of a “hotel dog”, for guests who missed their own pets or who simply wanted a relaxing walk with a dog after a busy day.
It was an instant hit. The initiative caught media attention, was adopted by the rest of the chain—and even imitated by competitors. One guest at the Fairmont in Boston loved the hotel dog so much that she named her newly adopted dog “Fairmont.”
Children at the wheel and spiderman at the window
Smiles all around at the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam. There, patients get to drive themselves to the operating room in a miniature Audi convertible. A fantastic initiative that provides distraction during a stressful moment. It reduces preoperative anxiety and supports the healing process. The project has been such a success that the hospital has ordered eleven more toy cars.
Another beautiful initiative comes from Evelina Children’s Hospital in London, where window cleaners dress not in regular uniforms but as Spiderman and Captain America. Coming face-to-face with your superhero, even briefly, can brighten any child’s day.
Coolblue “Package Delayer ”: Ordered today, delivered… someday!
With a launch date of March 31, 2017, it’s clear this product wasn’t meant to be taken seriously—but it was wonderfully playful: Coolblue’s Package Delayer ©. The idea was to create more anticipation for customers through an undefined delivery time. Exciting!
And a perfect match with Coolblue’s dream: “Incredibly Coolblue. Simply amaze.” With those words together, they turn the ordinary (delivering on time) into something special, and vice versa. They exceed expectations with just a little extra effort: a message, a card, personal advice… the magic of “just a bit different.” And it works.
The steak fabriek in Eindhoven, A Fan-worthy personal experience
Some time ago, my family and I had dinner at the Steak Fabriek before heading to the Glow festival. When our main course arrived, my three-year-old son unexpectedly grabbed the piping-hot skewer my partner had ordered and screamed in pain.
Within seconds, a staff member rushed over with burn gel from the kitchen, while another took my partner’s dish back to keep it warm. A third employee immediately sensed that my son needed distraction and began peppering my steak with an oversized pepper grinder. Brilliant. The whole team showed care, attention, and dedication to giving us an unforgettable evening. They succeeded and my son is completely fine now.
It’s the attentiveness, the extra step, the pleasant surprise, and the smile that make customers, guests, and patients reward these organizations with a solid 9+: the ultimate and spontaneous recommendation score according to the Net Promoter Score (NPS). And that matters. As Frederick F. Reichheld, founder of the NPS, demonstrated, recommendation intent is the best predictor of revenue growth. No wonder you're asked about your customer experience everywhere you go. If you want to score, you need to know where you stand.
These examples also illustrate something else: you can only achieve a 9+ when your employees are fans of their work and brand (see also our blog on eNPS). The reverse is equally true: if employees are not fans, you’ll score only sixes or lower and customers won’t return. Not poor service, but the feeling of indifference from a service provider is the number-one reason customers walk away.
The takeaway: Focus on both your employees and your customers—and fan-ergize your organization!
Excel? Start by investing in a cup of coffee!
If you want to understand how the customer journey and employee journey relate to each other, don’t hesitate to call us. Want to get started yourself? We highly recommend the following reads:
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How to Build a Business That People Love and Be Happy Doing It – Brian de Haaff
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Gastgevers in geluk. In zeven stappen naar hartverwarmende hospitality – Luc van Bussel
About Fan Factory
Improve your employee journey with Fan Factory.
- Reduce unwanted turnover, boost productivity, and give every new colleague a warm welcome with your unique onboarding program.
- With our all-in-one employee app, you instantly increase engagement within your organization. The Fan App helps you streamline internal communication, onboard employees step by step, make learning fun, and connect all your existing systems in one place.
- Discover where to begin to turn your employees into engaged ambassadors. The Fan Scan provides insight into satisfaction, priorities, and concrete next steps. This reduces turnover and absenteeism and maximizes employee value.
Get inspired, book a free demo!