Everyone talks about great customer experience, but how often do you truly manage to surprise your customers with a WOW moment? In this article, Steven van Belleghem and Dolf L’Ortye share some insights and practical tips on creating an exceptional customer experience. The importance of understanding your standard service offering. How do you inspire and support your team to deliver those WOW moments? And what kind of leadership is needed to make it happen?

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Start with the basics

In November, the Summiteers team headed to Paris for an anniversary trip. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy great food, relive old stories, create new memories, and learn together. During a masterclass on the first day, Steven van Belleghem, leading expert in customer experience, shared insights from his book 'A diamond in the rough'. His key question resonated with everyone: How do you create those exceptional WOW moments?

Dolf kicks things off: “After your masterclass, our entire team boarded the train to Paris feeling incredibly inspired. Everyone was thinking about the WOW factor and how we, as a professional services firm, deliver it. The next morning, we shared the results of our brainstorming session, and something stood out to me. As a team, we’re aligned on what we do, but there were nuances regarding our offering. Some things that one person saw as our standard service offering, another considered a WOW moment for the client. That got me thinking.”

“If you want to move towards truly sparkling service, that shiny diamond you describe in your book, you first need to clarify what customers can always expect. Write it down and discuss it with your team: What is our standard service offering exactly? We’re currently working on that in our team. Some elements are measurable and tangible, like ‘we don’t make typos in our slides’, ‘we are always on time in a meeting’. Others are less tangible and more about the way you behave and the impact of that on others, like ‘Summiteers always approach things with a positive attitude.’”

“Once you have your standard offering clear, then you can focus on creating WOW moments on top of that. Those moments really fascinate me. What makes people want to create them for clients? What inspires them to do that? Steven, I loved how you highlighted the importance of inspiration in your story. You need to give examples to your employees. What does WOW actually look like? Where can I start creating them? And, as you explain in your book, there need to be boundaries as well—like a budget. If you give people endless freedom to create WOW moments, they often get stuck.”

“So, inspiration and boundaries are crucial. But I also think there’s something else: being present in the moment. Employees need a certain sense of calm or mental space to recognise a potential WOW moment in that moment and act on it right there and then.”

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Turn values into actionable behaviour

Steven agrees: “Very interesting insights, Dolf. It’s so valuable to have discussions with your team about what your normal service versus exceptional service. In every company you see different perspectives on this, and discussions often get stuck because no one explicitly defines it. So that’s where you need to start. Clarify what your standard is. Don’t rely on vague terms like ‘friendly’ or ‘respectful.’ Those are values, and everyone interprets them differently. Focus on concrete behaviour. How quickly do you want to respond? What tone of voice do you use? What quality do you strive for?”

“A great example is TORFS, a Belgian shoe retailer known for its customer-centric approach. Their former CEO, Wouter Torfs, often heard people say, ‘That service just in your DNA.’ But Wouter was very clear: ‘Customer-centricity isn’t in our DNA; it’s in how we coach our people.’ At TORFS, employees know exactly what’s expected of them. For example, every customer is greeted with an enthusiastic ‘Welcome to TORFS.’ That behaviour has become second nature to the team, but it was consciously introduced and clearly defined. Those small, precise behaviours are what employees need.”

Exceptional service: creating space and providing support

Steven continues: “Once you’ve established the basics, the next step is to create space for exceptional service. Many people feel nervous about this. They think, ‘I’m really busy already, and now I have to deliver spectacular service on top of that too?’ But exceptional service often is in the small things. It’s about the ability to recognise what a customer needs in the moment. That requires focus and a sense of calm.”

He shares a compelling example: “I was making a photo album and ran into a problem. Smartphoto’s customer service responded quickly with a workaround.  Three weeks later, I received an email from the same customer service agent: ‘We’ve resolved the issue permanently, so you no longer need to use the workaround.’ That extra message wasn’t necessary—my issue had already been solved. But the fact that the employee took the time to follow up, to think about me again, felt like a genuine WOW moment. It’s often those small, symbolic gestures that leave the biggest impression.”

Dolf adds: “Exactly! How do you get someone to feel the room to manoeuvre and to act on such moments? As a leader, you need to give your employees that room, and they need to feel it too, to act when the opportunity arises. In this case, you didn’t even realise you needed that follow-up, but the employee clearly had a radar for it.”

Steven agrees: “Yes, as a leader, you must understand that not everyone naturally has those instincts. Some people need more structure or inspiration. Others will do it naturally because they get energized by doing it. Practise joy spotting—highlight those successful moments and put them in the spotlight.”

Dolf: “So, you mean sharing that WOW moment as inspiration with the rest of the team?”

Steven: “Yes, exactly. Share it with your team. That builds pride and creates a sense of awareness in everyone: ‘If I am keen on these moments, I’ll get positive feedback. I should try that too.’ That’s how you create the flow, I think.”

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Making WOW moments part of your structure

“It’s all about creating room to manoeuvre and providing support,” Steven continues. “Every company has those exceptional moments where you can deliver a WOW experience. But it doesn’t always have to be spontaneous—there are recurring opportunities as well. This happens in every industry. Any good restaurant knows that a marriage proposal happens there at least once a month. Be prepared for it, so you can make it something special. Support your employees by giving them the tools and frameworks they need to make these moments unforgettable. Really help them. Don’t leave them hanging, having to muddle through it; offer ideas and solutions on a silver platter. It’s like pick and mix: ‘This happens, so I’ll respond in this way.’”

“Think of it like air traffic controllers. For daily situations, they have clear routines. But for unexpected events, they have a set of prepared scenarios as well. With that structure, you give your employees a sense of security and make those shiny diamonds a natural part of your offering.”

Dolf adds: “Yes, perfect. I think it’s also important to analyse what works well. When someone creates a WOW moment, take time with the team to look at what happened exactly and why it worked. Often, you can spot a pattern and integrate it into your standard service. This approach ensures your organisation continues to grow. Share the WOW moments, for example, during your monthly team meetings.”

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Different types of employees

Dolf: “I’m still puzzling on this—some people seem to have a natural radar for these moments, while others don’t. I think feeling overwhelmed plays a role here too. Do you need mental space for it?”

Steven: “Yes, absolutely. In any team, there are always a few people who naturally thrive on this. You don’t need to inspire them; it just happens.”

Dolf: “As a leader, you need to earmark those people. Give them the space to create those WOW moments and share them with the rest of the team.”

Steven: “Exactly. You need to adopt a different leadership style for that group compared to the rest. For the employees who thrive on this, you need to give them the freedom and responsibility to make it happen. For the group that wants to contribute but doesn’t have the same radar, you need to inspire and support them. And then there’s a portion of your team who simply won’t engage with this at all. That’s okay. If a significant part of your team actively embraces it, you’re already doing great.”

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Reflection and action

“WOW moments are rarely a coincidence,” Steven says. “You need to define them, facilitate them, and nurture them. Most of the time, they’re orchestrated. People tend to overestimate what authenticity can achieve. If you just tell people to be themselves and create WOW moments, nothing will happen. But a well-orchestrated moment will feel completely authentic. And if you do it well, it becomes fun. Eventually, people will start doing it spontaneously.”

Dolf concludes: “For me, the key takeaway is that making things explicit, as is often the case, is really helpful. What is the standard? What can customers always expect? Beyond that, inspiration and clear guidelines are essential for creating those WOW moments. It’s about focusing on what truly matters. That requires leadership and genuine attention for your people.”

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How do you inspire your team?

How do you create WOW within your organisation? 'A diamond in the rough' by Steven is a fantastic starting point for exploring this further. Share your insights with your team and discover new ways to truly delight your customers together.

Curious about how we translate these insights into our services? Follow us on LinkedIn or contact Summiteers.