Making your customers go ‘WOW’ from the service they have received from you will help build loyalty and commitment. You need to get the basics right first. Here are some ideas that might help:

100 ways to WOW!

1. Smile – it really does go a mile, even if it’s on the phone you can still hear it!

2. Send a thank you email

3. Even better, send a thank you card, handwritten and sent in the post

4. Pay tribute on Twitter – dedicate a #ff (follow Friday) to them and explain why!

5. Send a link to a video that would make them laugh

6. Send a link to a song that captures something you have shared

7. Send a link to an interesting/funny/relevant article

8. Send cupcakes

9. Even more stand out, send customised cupcakes – a picture of you or them or a message included

10. Send chocolates

11. Send a chocolate slab with a piped message

12. Send chocolates with a logo embossed on them (yours or theirs)

13. Have chocolate business cards created (everyone loves chocolate!)

14. Send flowers

15. Send them a money box with a promise of savings

16. Send them a football (or something related to their favourite sport)

17. Get it signed by their favourite sports personality

18. Do something quicker than you said you would

19. Hand deliver something that you said you would post, say hello

20. Phone and ask how it went (when you know they were exhibiting, speaking, training etc)

21. Wish them a happy birthday on Facebook

22. Send them a birthday card

23. Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to them – get you/your team to don silly hats and record a version of happy birthday to send

24. Wish them a happy anniversary – and don’t think wedding, think their first year in business, two years since they became a customer with your business

25. Send them a birthday gift

26. Send them a gift for being a loyal customer

27. Send them a business book that you have recently enjoyed – tell them why

28. Invite them to an event

29. Turn up at the airport with a steak dinner (after reading a tweet that they were hungry) – true story from the USA!

30. Blog about them

31. Write an article about their business and publish in your newsletter

32. Buy a roof rack via eBay on their behalf for their camper van (another true story, honest)

33. Send them a cocktail

34. Make them a tea or coffee

35. Fill up your coffee loyalty card and send it so they can claim the free cup

36. Buy them a beer

37. Listen

38. Retweet one of their tweets to your audience

39. Share their event or product on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn

40. Write a recommendation on LinkedIn

41. Say thank you to everyone that RT’s your tweets

42. Say hello and tell them why you are pleased that they are following you on twitter

43. Send a personal message on Facebook telling them why their post really spoke to you

44. Remember a face and greet warmly using their name

45. Be kind

46. Send something for their pet

47. Deal with an issue yourself, don’t pass someone around the system and don’t let them go until they are satisfied with the outcome

48. Follow up – check to see that they were satisfied

49. Care about them – get in touch about a family or personal issue

50. Put someone in touch with your recommended plumber, builder, electrician and help with a domestic issue

51. Wish them a happy holiday

52. Recommend a good place to visit on their holidays

53. Send them a travel book

54. Send them a map – highlight attractions

55. Recommend a good restaurant

56. Arrange for a bottle of wine to be sent to their table

57. Send tickets for the theatre, museum, theme park (family ones ifapplicable)

58. Recommend a good person to work with them

59. Say sorry

60. Admit to your mistakes, explain what you will do to fix

61. Ask them what they would like by way of an apology

62. Treat them like a visitor to your own home

63. Send them a wall planner – populate with key events/dates

64. Send them a diary or calendar – ditto above

65. Send them a mouse mat with a great message

66. Be helpful

67. Make them a special offer

68. Support their charitable activities

69. Choose to raise funds for a charity that is significant to them

70. Get involved in a community project and invite them to take part

71. Be genuine and honest

72. Be friendly to everyone – whatever their position

73. Introduce people to each other at events – saying something nice about each of them on introduction

74. Have a positive ‘can-do’ attitude

75. No matter how bad a day you are having, keep it to yourself when dealing with customers (it’s not their fault)

76. Don’t react to anger, stay calm and empathise – show you understand and really care

77. Make people laugh

78. Tell a great story

79. Send them a mug – everybody loves a cuppa

80. Send them a t-shirt

81. Send them a baseball cap

82. If you are relying on information from a third party, explain that to the person waiting for your response

83. Send a bookmark, write a personal message on the back

84. Solve their problem

85. Say YES!

86. Record a video saying thank you – upload onto YouTube and send out the link

87. Have some prescription spectacles to hand for people reading your menu (an award-winning restaurant in Leeds does just this!)

88. Body language and posture matter, act like you mean it

89. Personal appearance speaks volumes

90. Send them a prize – best customer of the week, month, year (and why)

91. Put a small bag of sweeties in with each order

92. Start a like-ladder on Facebook and get your community to offer mutual support

93. Make time to think (about ways to show your customers that you really love having them around)

94. Do a little jig

95. If you know them well enough, give them a hug and/or a kiss

96. Have happy music playing in the background

97. Send a lottery ticket

98. Share your values

99. Be so much better than average

100. Did I say SMILE?

101. Don’t stop there . . . .

Hope you found this list fun and useful and that it prompted at least one good idea!

Do tell me how you got on, it’s always great to get feedback on WOW moments.