Making a WOW! First Impression

Several years ago I experienced a WOW! First Impression while eating out. It came from great guest experiences over consecutive days from two establishments at opposite ends of the dining spectrum: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Taco Bell. In both instances, the staff went beyond the expectations to deliver exemplary service. You expect it at one, but are surprised at the other, right? Why should price be any indicator of the level of service delivered?

What about a place with no "price" at all - the church?

When was the last time you had a WOW! experience - at church or anywhere else?

• WOW! is great service
• WOW! separates the EXTRAordinary from the ordinary
• WOW! separates the sincere from the insincere
• WOW! separates the yes's from the no's
• WOW! is doing what others can't (or won't)
• WOW! is what you do for others in an exceptional way
• WOW! is communicating you care
• WOW! is creating a memorable experience

Remember some WOW! moments
Recall a couple of times you've been wowed. Who blew you away with excellent service? Who surprised you with remarkably good quality? Who impressed you with a product's value? What did the people involved in these experiences do? How did the actions and behavior affect you?

Did those experiences want to make you return to that place? My guess is a definite yes!

The same is true of guests in our churches. The churches delivering experiences which exceed guests' expectations are those to which people return, again and again, until they're no longer guests but full-fledged members of the church community.

Now that's a WOW!