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About

As businesses begin to re-establish themselves in the new post-COVID era, one thing is clear – only the strong will survive. Many industries were hit hard, and are being forced to reexamine the way they do business. A recent CFIB report predicts that one in seven small businesses are at risk of going under as a result of COVID-19. With all of these uncertainties in the market place, your business needs every advantage you can get in order to not only survive, but thrive.

The Blue Coast WOW initiative has been established by the Sarnia Lambton Business Development Corporation as a way for businesses to identify gaps in their customer service levels, and provide the necessary training to ensure they are offering their customers an unforgettable experience – each and every time.

The goal of this program is to help you learn the necessary skills to achieve higher revenue through increased customer satisfaction levels, improved staff retention through an improved sense of belonging, increased business community involvement and pride in Lambton County.

Program Overview

The Blue Coast WOW Program is more than just the same old do-it-yourself online workshop. The program consists of a guided program that will support you and your staff through education on the various strategies for your individual business, execution and implementation on these strategies. We’re with you every step of the way with on-going accountability check-ins as well.

The Blue Coast WOW initiative will apply the following principles to help you take CARE of your customers in an effort to help you achieve service excellence:

  • C reate Customer WOW’s
  • A ttitude of Caring Service
  • R esolve Issues/Complaints
  • E ducate to Increase Competence

In addition to this, we will show you how to take CARE of your staff with effective coaching by you and your managers

  • Keep the L.A.M.P. on and help your people G.R.O.W.
  • Provide Effective Feedback
  • Understand and use key Emotional Intelligence Skills
  • Implement the Blue Coast WOW program into your business using our guide for success

Pilot Project

In 2019, a pilot project was run with two Lambton County businesses – one in the retail sector, and another in the hospitality businesses. The results were as follows:

  • The retail business raised the level of WOW Service by 7.2% to 97.4% from an already very good rating of 90.2%
  • The hospitality business raised the level of WOW Service by 11.2% to 95% from 83.8%

About the Coach

Each program will be led by Mike Desantis, a 35 year veteran of the hospitality industry. Mike is an owner of 3 businesses and is a strategic, results-driven professional who takes pride in exceeding expectations to help organizations prosper. As a business owner, he understands the challenges facing today’s business owners and is motivated to help them succeed and grow.

Mike has worked with numerous organizations throughout Eastern Canada and Ontario, including Rodd Hotels & Resorts, Sysco Food Services, Flanagans Food Service, Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation (SLBDC), Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board (SLWDB) and numerous independent restaurants & hotels. Mike will help you to navigate the pitfalls every business will ultimately encounter by teaching you the skills and strategies required to succeed in your own business.

How It Works

After you signup for the program, we’ll enroll your team into one of the two courses available for employees and managers. Each course is approx. 4 hours in length and can be offered virtually or in-person.

After the program is complete, we’ll work with your team to implement the strategies learned, and provide on-going accountability check-ins to help you achieve long-term success.

How to Apply

If you’re in the retail or hospitality industry and are ready to take your customer service from good to WOW, contact us today.