After presenting The WOW! Awards I always hope that the service standards will be maintained. I want other people to experience exactly the same great service that Ive seen.

Last week I had the privilege to visit a past winner. The business is called Harris Lipman and theyre based in Whetstone, North London.

Having phoned to make the appointment, I got this letter.

Dear Mr Williams

I have been advised by Howard that you are visiting our offices on Friday 19 October at 2.00pm and I am writing to you to see whether you would like to accept our offer of having your car valeted whilst you are attending our offices, at our expense.

Whilst we make every effort to visit our clients wherever possible, I am sure you can appreciate that it is a significant time saving to us when clients such as yourself do take the time and effort to visit us, and we felt that we would like to offer this service as a token of our appreciation.

I shall call you within the next two to three days to see whether you would like t to accept our offer.

I trust hat you will appreciate that this offer is conditional upon prevailing weather conditions.

Yours sincerely

Sarah OBrien

Client Welfare Officer

I spoke to Sarah a few days later and explained that I was not a proper client and so Id not be taking up her kind offer. I dont see as that matters, said Sarah. I think that you should have it done anyway.

But that was just part of the story.

I was also dazzled by a wonderful reception area with music playing softly in the background. Sarah was absolutely wonderful. There were lovely displays of flowers and a Team Commitment on the wall left me in no doubt that this was an extraordinary business.

When asked if Id like a drink I requested some water. Two beautiful blue glass, chilled bottles of water appeared. One still and one sparkling. A stunning cut glass tumbler was placed on a drinks coaster ready for me to use.

And when I came out of the building, there was my car sparkling clean and positioned ready for me to drive away.

WOW!

And what is Harris Lipmans business? Theyre a firm of accountants!!! Not normally a business that youd associate with customer service but theyre setting a standard that is way beyond the norm for any business.

So what can you learn from this?

Harris Lipman stunned me with first impressions the letter and the reception. And what a fantastic letter it is. Just take a moment to read it again the way a customer would.

They dazzled me with second impressions the reception area, the Team Commitment, the water bottles, the music and the flowers.

They blew my mind with the last impressions. Not only was my car clean but it was lined up ready to drive away!

What first, second and last impressions are you creating?