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When ‘The Little Things’ Can Have The Biggest Impact

May 30, 2018

When ‘The Little Things’ Can Have The Biggest Impact

Last week a hotel where I booked accommodation surprised me with something I’ve never seen before.

We’ve all had that experience where you get to your hotel and settle in only to discover the pillow is not comfortable, leaving you disappointed and frustrated. But this experience was different. After I progressed through the booking and payment pages I was taken to final page that presented me with a range of varying pillow options (feather, hypoallergenic, firm, etc) for me to select how I’d like my bed made up for my stay!

This hotel has taken an ‘intimate’ interest in me as the customer. They have taken what seems like a tiny act of attention to detail but was clever in its foresight to address a potential pain point in my experience.

This got me thinking about the importance of paying attention to ‘the little things’ and how brands can tune into the nuances of the experience they are creating for customers to stand out.

Uber tapped into a delight factor for customers that created a ‘buzz’ around service like receiving free mints and water during your ride.

Qantas have just announced from June, that customers across the Qantas network will have access to in-house generated guided meditation videos (beneficial for the nervous flyer or those looking to truly relax into their journey).

And, after a service, my local Jeep dealer will always give my car a full inside and outside wash, returning it sparkling clean and making it feel like ‘new’.

Great brands look at the customer journey with an empathetic lens and develop personalised attention to even the smallest detail. One of the best ways to achieve this is to immerse yourself in experience of your offering so that you can understand through the eyes of a customer. What do you see when you try to search for and learn about your brand? Is your online presence useful? What is it like to buy and use your product or service? How helpful is customer support when you need them? Where does it fall short or where do you find yourself saying “if only it could do ‘this’ or had ‘that’”.

Experiences build more value for brands by creating unique moments between you and your customer, and these owned moments are hard for competitors to replicate.

Written by Laura.


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