Who Doesn’t Love a Surprise?

I remember the first time a Diamond Certified company cleaned my carpet. The technician did a fine job and I was totally satisfied. The surprise came as he was leaving, when he gave me a bottle of carpet stain remover with his contact information on it. He encouraged me to call if I needed advice on stain removal or if I had questions about buying new carpet. He was willing to share his deep expertise at no charge. More recently, I’ve had other pleasant surprises. After I ordered three headbands from Etsy, the creator sent an extra one as a thank-you. I was renting a car at the Phoenix airport and declined an upgrade, but as the agent was handing me the paperwork, he smiled and said he gave me a “courtesy” upgrade. You know I gave him high marks on the customer feedback form. And this past week, when I ordered a bowl of soup and a smoothie from a takeout place, the friendly waiter added a free chocolate chip cookie to my bag! I think we all love being surprised because an unexpected positive experience triggers dopamine and builds an emotional connection. Businesses benefit from customer retention and loyalty. You might share your story about the surprise with others. It’s also true that an unexpected “gift” helps a business stand out from the competition. Many companies can clean your carpet, for example, but which ones give their customers a little something extra?  From the business point of view, there can be a few downsides to “surprise and delight” marketing, as it’s called. First, customers may come to expect extras. Second, there’s always a cost to giving something away. Third, some say you risk creating “high-maintenance” customers for whom an extraordinary job is taken for granted.  As for me, I’ll take any and all surprises that come my way. However, I always keep in mind that high-quality work and service are still the most important factors when it comes to building a deeper relationship with a business.  <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/" target="_self">Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.</a> Related Articles <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/Guide/Savvy-Consumer/" target="_self">Your Guide to Being a Savvy Consumer</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Get Expert Advice From Owners of Top Rated Local Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/membership/" target="_self">Become a Diamond Certified Preferred Member (Always Free)</a>