Shops usually go out of their way to impress new customers. The unwritten rule is to give first-time visitors the best possible experience so they will tell their friends. But what happens on the second, third, or fourth visit? Charlene Parlett says that is where most businesses drop the ball.
Charlene is an executive, leadership, confidence, and life coach and a Certified Profit First Professional. In episode 52 of Maximum Octane, she introduces Kim Hickey to the Forever WOW Experience approach, explains why consistency is critical, and shows why five-star service starts with knowing what five-star looks like, for customers and for employees.
What You Will Learn
- What is the FWE, and why should most businesses incorporate and systemize it
- Why customers should enjoy the same experience every time they visit our store
- Where do most business and shop owners drop the ball
- Consistency is critical in customer service
- You can’t provide five-star treatment if you don’t know how it looks like
- How much is the extra cost of delivering WOW experiences?
What the Forever WOW Experience Is
Around the 8 minute mark, Charlene explains the Forever WOW Experience, or FWE, and why businesses should build it into their systems. The idea is simple: every customer should feel wowed on every visit, not just the first one. Making that happen requires turning WOW moments into repeatable processes rather than relying on individual effort or good days.
Systemizing WOW means identifying specific moments in the customer journey where the shop can exceed expectations and building those moments into standard procedures. For example, every customer might receive a personal text when their vehicle is ready, a clean interior, and a follow-up call two days later. When these steps are part of the process, they happen consistently regardless of who is working.
The Same Great Experience Every Time
Charlene explains why customers should enjoy the same experience every time they visit. When the first visit is outstanding and the next one is ordinary, customers notice the drop. It can even feel like the business stopped caring once it had their loyalty. Consistency is what builds lasting trust.
Former Disney leader Dennis Snow makes a similar point in Providing Excellence in Customer Service Before It Was Cool: someone is always experiencing your service for the first time, and every experience should be delivered with the same energy.
Consistency is especially important for retention. Customers form expectations based on their first visit. If later visits fall short, they feel disappointed, even if the service is still good by general standards. Meeting or exceeding those expectations every time reinforces trust and loyalty.
On the shop floor, inconsistency often shows up in small ways. One advisor calls every customer with an update before noon, while another waits until the end of the day. One technician leaves the interior spotless, while another forgets the seat cover. Customers rarely complain about these differences, but they notice them. Writing down exactly what every visit should include, and checking that it happens, removes the luck from the experience. The goal is that a customer could visit on any day, with any team member, and receive the same level of care.
Where Business Owners Drop the Ball
Around the 16 minute mark, Charlene shares examples of where owners commonly fall short on satisfaction and retention. Typical gaps include forgetting returning customers’ names and history, skipping follow-up calls once a customer is “established,” and letting standards slip when the shop is busy.
ATI’s Close the Back Door NOW and How to Build a Loyal Customer Base focus on keeping the customers you already have.
Another common gap is treating returning customers as guaranteed. Shops may invest heavily in attracting new customers while neglecting the ones they already have. Yet retaining customers is generally less expensive than acquiring new ones. Investing in the returning customer experience often produces a higher return than new customer promotions.
One way to spot these gaps is to look at the experience through a returning customer’s eyes. Call your own shop and schedule an appointment. Read the text messages your system sends. Notice whether anyone acknowledges a customer’s history or simply starts over as if they were new. Owners who walk through the process this way often find small moments where the shop stopped trying, and those are usually the easiest places to restore the WOW.
Consistency Is Critical
Charlene returns to consistency as the key to great customer service. A single amazing experience creates a good story. Consistent great experiences create loyal customers. That consistency comes from systems, training, and leadership that reinforces standards every day.
Achieving consistency requires training, documentation, and accountability. Every team member should know the standards for customer interactions and understand why they matter. Regular reviews of customer feedback help identify where consistency is slipping.
You Cannot Deliver Five Stars Without Knowing What They Look Like
Around the 27 minute mark, Charlene makes an important point: you cannot provide five-star treatment if you do not know what it looks like. Many team members have never experienced high-end service themselves. Showing them examples, describing the standard in detail, and practicing it together helps them deliver it.
Charlene also connects this to internal customers. Employees who receive five-star treatment from their leaders understand what it feels like and are more likely to pass it on to customers.
One way to show employees what five-star service looks like is to experience it together. Some businesses take teams to high-end restaurants or hotels to observe service practices firsthand. Others share videos or case studies of exceptional service. Discussing what made those experiences special helps employees translate them into their own work.
What Does a WOW Cost?
Charlene closes by addressing cost. Many owners assume WOW experiences are expensive. In reality, many of the most memorable gestures cost little or nothing: remembering details, a personal call, a clean car, a handwritten note. The return in loyalty and referrals usually far exceeds the investment.
ATI’s How to Increase the WOW Count at Your Shop is full of practical ideas.
Many of the most powerful WOW moments cost nothing but attention: remembering a customer’s name, asking about their family, or noticing a detail and taking care of it. Even moments that involve some cost, like a car wash or a small gift, are inexpensive compared with the lifetime value of a loyal customer.
Training Your Team to Create WOW
Creating WOW experiences consistently requires a team that understands and believes in the approach. Training can include role-playing customer interactions, sharing examples of WOW moments, and recognizing employees who create them. Some shops hold regular meetings where team members share WOW stories, which reinforces the behavior and generates new ideas.
Leaders also play a key role by modeling WOW behavior themselves. When owners treat customers and employees with exceptional care, the team follows. Charlene’s message is that WOW is not a one-time event. It is a culture built through consistent effort and leadership.
What This Looks Like for Service Advisors
Service advisors carry much of the Forever WOW Experience because they are the face of the shop for most customers. For advisors, consistency starts with preparation: reviewing a returning customer’s history before they arrive, noting past concerns, and greeting them by name. During the visit, it means clear updates, explanations without jargon, and honest recommendations that respect the customer’s budget and priorities.
After the visit, advisors can close the loop with a follow-up call or message to ask how the vehicle is running. Each of these steps is simple on its own. The difference comes from doing all of them, every time, with every customer, so that the tenth visit feels just as personal as the first.
Build Your Forever WOW System
- Map every step of a returning customer’s visit, from appointment to follow-up.
- Identify one WOW moment at each step and write it into your process.
- Show your team examples of five-star service from other industries.
- Track returning customer satisfaction separately from first-time customers.
Mary Kelly explains how to see service through the customer’s eyes in How to Make Your Clients Forget the World Is on Fire. For a shop built around memorable service, listen to Kori and Troy Vaninetti in Give ‘Em the Pickle!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I improve customer retention at my auto repair shop?
Focus on the returning customer experience as much as the first visit. Greet repeat customers by name, review their history before they arrive, communicate clearly throughout the repair, and follow up after the visit. Keep standards consistent no matter how busy the shop is. Track retention separately from new customer counts so you can see whether loyalty is growing. Small, consistent touches over many visits build the trust that keeps customers coming back.
What is a WOW experience in customer service?
A WOW experience is a moment where a customer receives more than they expected, in a way that feels personal and memorable. In a repair shop, it might be a vehicle returned cleaner than it arrived, a call to check on the customer after a big repair, or an advisor remembering an upcoming family trip. The key is making these moments part of the process so they happen consistently, not occasionally.
How can I make customer service consistent across my whole team?
Write down the standards for each step of the customer visit, from scheduling to follow-up, and train every team member on them. Role-play common situations so everyone knows what great service sounds like. Review customer feedback regularly to catch where the process slips. Recognize team members who model the standard. Consistency comes from clear expectations, practice, and leaders who reinforce those expectations every day.
Does great customer service have to be expensive?
No. Many of the most memorable service gestures cost little or nothing, such as remembering a customer’s name, explaining a repair patiently, sending a personal thank-you, or returning a clean vehicle. Some shops add modest extras like car washes or small gifts, but attention and care matter more than spending. Compared with the long-term value of a loyal customer, the cost of consistent great service is small.
Why do businesses lose returning customers?
Customers often leave quietly when they feel taken for granted. Common causes include inconsistent service, poor communication, feeling rushed, surprises on the invoice, and a lack of follow-up after the visit. Many businesses work hard to impress new customers but relax once someone becomes a regular. Treating every visit as an opportunity to earn loyalty again helps prevent that slow drift away.
Resources and Links From This Episode
Connect With the Guests
- Charlene: LinkedIn
