Create moments of joy

Those little extras turn your customers into advocates

We’ve all had those experiences. Like going to a restaurant for a nice meal and the service is just, unexpectedly great. The staff are really attentive (but not too attentive!), they engage with the kids, they’re knowledgeable about the menu and give good advice, they even give you all a complimentary treat at the end of the meal. Everyone comes out of the door with big smiles on their faces after leaving a handsome tip. People are told about how great the meal was and five star reviews are written.

Your business follows the same rules. The cold reality is that your customers take it for granted that you have a great product and a seamless service. If you merely stay at that level then, many others will join you there, competing for the same customers.

The things that people remember (and share with others) are those little moments of joy. The staff member that bends over backwards to make sure an essential task is complete. The personal note that is sent out with your packaged product. The free hour of fun training that you offer with your digital product. These moments are when your unique brand personality can shine through, and no-one can compete with that.

When we’re going through our branding process at Yes/No, to help come up with ideas for these ‘cherry on top’ moments, we like to do an exercise called the Energiser Pyramid (you can download a PDF worksheet here). 

We explore the three E’s which are:

• Essentials: The fundamentals of your business

• Enablers: Tools and tactics to enable customers to do more 

• Energisers: What can you do to capture customer aspirations? These are the finishing touches that will make you memorable.

Here’s an example of the pyramid in action:

These ‘energiser’ moments are essential for building a strong brand. They help to create an emotional connection, lead to increased customer loyalty and generate positive word-of-mouth marketing, ultimately helping to drive growth and profitability for the business. Additionally, these extra touches help differentiate your brand and demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction, which further enhance your reputation and appeal.

Here are a few examples of ‘energiser’ moments that businesses have used to delight their customers:

• Pret A Manger have a ‘random acts of kindness’ program where they surprise customers by offering free food and drinks or even paying for their entire order. This simple gesture brightens customers' days and generates positive word-of-mouth for the brand.

• ASOS has a program called ‘ASOS Insiders’, where they select a group of customers to receive exclusive discounts and early access to new products. They also feature photos of real customers wearing ASOS clothes on their website and social media, which helps to build a sense of community around the brand.

• DoubleTree by Hilton hotels always greet their guests with a warm chocolate chip cookie. This small gesture has become synonymous with the DoubleTree brand and is often cited by guests as a highlight of their stay.

These are just a few examples, but these moments can come in many different forms, from surprise freebies to personalised services to exclusive discounts. The key is to find ways to surprise and delight customers in a way that feels authentic and consistent with your brand values.