There’s a local pizza joint that does a stellar job of advertising. They offer a monthly special that’s always unique. Past instances have included the Gobble Wobble – a Thanksgiving inspired flatbread that’s a perfect promotion for the month of November.  The thing that makes these pizzas especially great is the attention to detail. This month’s special, March Crabness, is a flatbread take on crab rangoon. It plays on March Madness while also offering something unique to customers who are tired of pizza (though how they could be tired of pizza, this Chicago native will never know). However, March Madness comes complete with an added surprise – a fortune cookie in every box. It’s a small detail but it makes an impact. The restaurant had a vision and saw it through. Customers delighted in opening their pizza box (crab rangoon box, whatever) and finding a special treat. Your business can create moments that matter, whether they use handwritten notes, special offers or fortune cookie treats. Creating moments that matter – that surprise and delight your customers – means they’re more likely to work with you again and recommend you to their friends. How can you create moments that matter? Consider these four points:

• Focus on Customer Experience Don’t think just about what you want to get out of a customer interaction – increased sales or return visits. Think about the customer first and how the experience impacts their life. Putting the focus on the customer experience rather than your own allows you to create great experiences.
• Create On-Brand Experiences If your brand is supposed to be fun, add a fun twist to their purchase whether it’s great wording or a fun freebie. If you run a professional brand, make sure your letterhead is crisp and unique. Whatever vibe  you’re going for, make sure it reaches to all aspects of your customer experience.
• Do Something Surprising If all of your competitors are taking a certain action, your customers likely expect that as part of their experience. If everyone has a monthly special, adding one of your own doesn’t heighten the customer experience terribly. Going the extra mile is a phrase that’s often touted – and there’s good reason for it. If you want to create moments that delight your customers, go above and beyond to do something that surprises them.
• Don’t Expect Anything Back It’s quite possible that your customers will share these great moments on social. If they don’t, that’s ok. Create great moments because they’re great. A local bakery send cookies to the hospital for all new moms – and they told me when I posed about this interaction on Facebook to say thanks that they often never hear back. They bake the cookies, send them to the hospital, and let it go. They do good things and create positive experiences simply because it’s important to them. I’ve talked to a number of moms who have delivered at that hospital since then and they all smile when discussing these cookies. They also stated that they are more likely to work with the bakery in the future as a result – even if they’re not openly singing the bakery’s praises everywhere they go.

Creating moments that matter is possible for any business. It’s worth the time to think about how you can add special moments to every interaction in order to increase positive customer interactions – and your own happiness with your job.