How to deliver the wow factor to your guests - with 5 tips

Discover how you can structurally increase the guest experience, to ultimately enhance the chance of delivering the wow factor to your guests.

No matter what industry you're in, delivering a high-quality experience is of great importance. Your guests' expectations are on the rise and it's up to you to meet and exceed these expectations. However, focusing on delivering this top-notch experience is also very beneficial for your business, given the positive impact it has on guest satisfaction.

And that's not all. According to Superb, a great experience not only improves guest satisfaction but also increases the likelihood of customers coming back. This, in turn, increases your revenue and generates word-of-mouth marketing for your business.

But how do you manage to keep up, or even exceed those high expectations? It's all about delivering the wow factor.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the wow factor is a quality or feature of something that makes people feel great excitement or admiration. A bit broad, but it basically means doing something extraordinary for your guests that literally make them say or feel 'wow'. This can be by doing that little extra they did not expect, providing an outstanding quality of products, or delivering high-quality knowledge of service. The list goes on. It's simply about making your guests feel special and showing that you appreciate them.

To increase the likelihood of delivering the wow factor to your guests, excelling at one or more of the following five points can take you a long way. However, be aware of the fact that it is important to be balanced, a negative experience in another area can counter the wow factor just as quickly. It is important to meet an overall level of quality, but having one aspect of an outstanding level will enhance the chance of delivering that wow factor.

No matter what type of product or service you serve, delivering a high-quality end-product is a must. However, even though a product is of high quality, it doesn't mean it resonates with your guest. It is therefore important to define which of your products or services stand out. You can do so by actively listening to your guests or looking into the most ordered items.

But be aware that you're (most) frequently ordered product or service isn't necessarily the one that causes the wow factor you're looking to deliver, and that's fine. They add up to the overall quality you aim to serve, ultimately contributing to improving the guest experience. But the easiest way to discover the ones that do deliver the wow factor is to spot excitement when it's delivered to your guest. And you'll recognize this excitement when it happens.

Being very knowledgeable about your craft is a quality in itself. But combining this with good service and high-quality products or services can take things to the next level. It is always nice to be served with great expertise when asking for advice in, for example, an electronics store or winery. Being able to deliver a high level of expertise can certainly provide a unique guest experience that causes the wow factor. And Danish cocktail bar Gedulgt shows how it's done.

By reflecting their expertise in both the composition of flavours in the cocktails they serve, as well as the way they are presented as a work of art, the best of both worlds is brought together. Their focus on expertise and experience has been rewarded with several awards, including a mention in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, demonstrating yet again that they are an expert in their field.

Doing something so well that it can't be replicated, that's not something you can compete with. Being authentic is a truly unfair advantage, but you have to succeed in achieving a certain level. Being authentic requires a high degree of expertise, but on top of that also an element of innovation. This can be by inventing something new or taking something existing to a new and unprecedented level. A great example of being authentic is Coca-Cola. The taste of Coca-Cola has often been imitated but never replicated. According to the company, the actual formula still remains a secret.

Another example is the Danish Hart Bageri. At the well-known Copenhagen-based bakery, everything is made by hand. What makes Hart so authentic is the passion that is structurally put into the work, which is echoed in the beautiful and above all delicious products they sell. So if you could already manage to match their quality, which would be an achievement in itself, maintaining it structurally is an even tougher duty. Fun fact, Hart Bageri's authenticity is recognized worldwide with more than 140K followers on their Instagram page, allowing them to provide the wow feeling to people who have not even been in the bakery itself.

Being aware of your own footprint plus that of your business is a great cause in itself. Making it more difficult for yourself to run a responsible business is something that fully deserves all the appreciation it gets. From stores with eco-friendly products like Tinc, to restaurants that cook with the products the fields are providing at the time, it's just wonderful.

Being able to turn seasonal produce grown in the region into very exceptional dishes is basically delivering the wow factor already. And the Dutch restaurant 't Klooster is showing how this is done. Standing behind the vision that their cuisine shows where we come from as well as where our food comes from, they are able to deliver creative surprise menus that differ almost every day. And this gets recognition, the Dutch Michelin Guide describes it as follows: 'There happens something on the plate!'

At Workfeed we idolize the ones that spread joy and memories. Those who are in business to provide guests with experiences, to deliver the wow factor. Speaking from experience, we understand that it's a demanding cause that consumes lots of time, effort, and determination. That's why we're committed to making this easier for you. To do this, we developed a scheduling system to free you from those endless administrative tasks like scheduling, timesheets, and payroll, so you can do what you do best. Spreading experiences.

Achieving an unprecedented guest experience and conveying the wow factor is more than being exceptionally good in any of the previously mentioned aspects. As reflected in the shared examples of companies that manage to make their mark, the basics are being balanced. Being equally good at multiple aspects and providing a high quality service, before becoming an expert in a particular category is what brings you to the stage of delivering the wow factor.