Surprise EffectOpen Access

Surprise Effect

We respond well to positive, unexpected, personal gestures

Unscripted, personal acts are powerful in fostering positive brand experiences. But, unless explained, they’ll also raise future customer expectations…

Gyung Kim & Mattila (2013). Does a surprise strategy need words? The effect of explanations …on delight & expectations. Journal of Services Marketing.

The study

Setup

Setup

435 people were asked to go to a restaurant and split into four groups. They were then either given a surprise free dessert or not, and then finally either given an explanation of the reason for the surprise or not. All were then asked to rate their level of delight.

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Results

Results

Those given the explanation rated the surprise as more delightful than those who weren’t.

Study graph
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Gyung Kim & Mattila (2013). Does a surprise strategy need words? The effect of explanations …on delight & expectations. Journal of Services Marketing.

Key Takeaways

1
1

Surprise sparingly.  The more frequent the surprise, the less positive it will make customers feel. Give your staff creative autonomy to make small, personal & unexpected gestures that strike deep. 

Takeaway image
2
2

Provide an explanation for the surprise to suppress future unrealistic customer expectations, avoid mistake misconceptions and heighten the sense of personalization. 

Takeaway image
3
3

Reframe problems into surprises. During a busy Christmas, Lush (a UK soap store) had a long queue, which an elderly lady holding one item had joined. A shop assistant noticed, pointing out the queue length and that she didn’t need to pay. After he insisted she accept, she hugged him and left the shop with the free item. Another customer then told him that witnessing his kindness  had made her day. Both will recall compassion, positive surprise and stress relief in future perceptions of the Lush brand.

Takeaway image
4
4
Takeaway image
Takeaway image
np_read_2490885_000000
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In further detail

Takeaway image
Surprise Effect

Surprise Effect

We respond well to positive, unexpected, personal gestures

Unscripted, personal acts are powerful in fostering positive brand experiences. But, unless explained, they’ll also raise future customer expectations…

The study

Setup

435 people were asked to go to a restaurant and split into four groups. They were then either given a surprise free dessert or not, and then finally either given an explanation of the reason for the surprise or not. All were then asked to rate their level of delight.

Results

Those given the explanation rated the surprise as more delightful than those who weren’t.

study graph
np_read_2490885_000000

In detail

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Nuggets

Snack on these...

Open access, foundational Nuggets

Scarcity

Scarcity

We value things more when they’re in limited supply

Social Proof

Social Proof

We copy the behaviors of others, especially in unfamiliar situations

Prospect Theory

Prospect Theory

A loss hurts more than an equal gain feels good

Reciprocity

Reciprocity

We’re hardwired to return kindness received

Framing

Framing

We make very different decisions based on how a fact is presented

Loss Aversion

Loss Aversion

We feel more negative when losing something than positive when we gain it

Self-Expression

Self-Expression

We constantly seek out ways to communicate our identity to others

Default Effect

Default Effect

We tend to accept the option pre-chosen for us

Priming

Priming

Our decisions are shaped by memories recalled from things just seen or heard

Anchoring

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What we see first affects our judgement of everything thereafter

Autonomy Bias

Autonomy Bias

We have a deep-seated need to control our situations

Fast & Slow Thinking

Fast & Slow Thinking

We make knee-jerk spontaneous decisions that can cause regretful damage

Status Quo Bias

Status Quo Bias

We tend to stick with our previous choices, even if the alternatives might be better

Dynamic Norms

Dynamic Norms

We’re more likely to change if we can see a new behavior developing

Round Pricing Preference

Round Pricing Preference

We prefer and trust whole numbers over those ending in a 9

Salience

Salience

Our choices are determined by the information we're shown

Connected to

All Nuggets, data & takeaways

Academic data

Key takeaways

Pairings

Cheat Sheets

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