Do you like Cracker Jack? Caramel-covered popcorn with peanuts. It’s a nice treat but it’s probably not the first thing you thought of when you saw the name. What most likely came to mind was the surprise. That little toy sitting somewhere in the box. I’ve seen kids dump out the contents into a bowl just to get the prize and leave the popcorn for someone else. But that ruins it as far as I’m concerned. I like the anticipation, not to mention the caramel-covered joy all along the journey.

There’s a lesson here.

Wowing customers happens in two ways. One is something New Orleanians call lagniappe, a little extra. It’s passing the salt and pepper when someone just asks for salt. It’s the baker’s dozen, that extra roll just because. And yes, it’s the prize in the Cracker Jack box. When you get an unexpected upgrade or a “yes” when it seemed you would get the “same old, same old,” that is lagniappe. That’s the surprise wow.

The second, little recognized, wow is consistency. It’s paying attention to details with religious intensity and zeal. Much like the popcorn and peanut medley in our Cracker Jacks, it is that recognizable, never disappointing flavor in every bite.

This second, often overlooked, wow is the bread and butter of Disney. There are innumerable examples of consistent attention to detail at their theme parks. Think of the cleanliness, the meticulous theming in each different “land,” or the way guests are made to feel they’ve entered a place completely separated from “real life.” And this experience happens every day, year in, year out. This attention to the tiniest detail is ever-present. This is the wow. The fact that I, the customer, can trust that what I’m going to get will be the same, every time, WOW!

So, how do you apply this?

First, always be on the lookout for opportunities to sprinkle in a little surprise for customers. Be on alert for ways to give that unexpected “yes,” that cold bottled water on a hot day, that recommendation of another vendor who might help them further, or that proactive fix for a little problem they might have if the planets don’t quite align.

Second, take a look at the journey of your customers. Is it consistent? Are things done the same way every time? Is it a ritual (religions, by the way, have relied on the power of ritual for centuries)? Are employees paying attention to details? Is everything easy, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing (yes, it should be lovely)?

Wow your customers, yes, but be clear, one way is like a fire that keeps you warm while the other is like finding a handful of marshmallows in the cupboard that make that fire fun…by accident. The keys to wow: Diligence for the consistency of the fire and vigilance for the surprise of the marshmallows.

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