The Tao of WOW!
I know this has happened to everyone. You discover a new pizzeria, some really cool little spot that no one seems to know about. The service, vibe and food blow you away. You think “WOW! I can’t wait to bring my friends here” You talk it, up gather all of your favorite pizza fanatics, and with great expectations you convene for a life changing pizza experience. But wait, this time something is slightly off. The service is still good, but the smiles aren’t quite as bright. The music could be improved. The pizza is still interesting, but not as great as last time. You think,”Something has changed”. Well you re right, something has changed and that something is… YOU!
Think about it. The first time you walked into the place you had no reference point, no expectation or perhaps you were even a bit skeptical. You had a fresh experience, much better than expected,. You were pleasantly surprised, and for a brief time you were liveing in a state of”WOW! So you plan a return visit. You tell all of your friends. You think about it all week. You walk in ready for WOW! Anticipating WOW! In fact demanding WOW! Your friends have arrived carrying the baggage of all the hype that you created, they can’t quite feel the love either, and what was actually a good experience becomes vaguely disappointing. You go back a few times, but the initial buzz just can’t be recaptured.
This is the paradox of WOW! and it exists for all of us whether we create pizza for a living or like to cook at home for our friends. Every time we sit down to enjoy a pizza we are a different person. We are the sum total of all of our experiences right up to that exact moment. What this means is that if we replicate the previous pizza experience exactly it will not impress our guests as much on repeat visits because they have a new reference point each time. The only way to keep WOWING your guests is to constantly (but subtly) improve the experience.
The constant effort to improve is the only way to have long term success.
