The Must-Know "Peak-End Rule" for Service & Process Design. You Need To Factor This Into All Your Processes
The peak-end rule is a psychological heuristic in which people judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak (i.e., its most intense point) and at its end, rather than based on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience. The effect occurs regardless of whether the experience is pleasant or unpleasant. Source: Wikipedia
Actionable Insight
The processes that make a service experience may not be rocket science, at least not until we open hotels on the moon, but adding a dash of scientific temper can dramatically change the outcome.
The only two things you need to know, from a practical, implementation point of view are:
Create a towering peak moment in every positive guest experience.
Reduce the peak moment in every negative guest experience.
Real-World Example
Let’s take Restaurant Dining for example.
Designing / Managing Peak Moments
Create a towering peak moment in every positive guest experience.
If the guest is a repeat guest, can you remember their favourite drink and bring it to them?
Maybe, instead of "asking" for Indian bread orders, bring them some and offer it? Charge only if consumed.
Offer a taster - mini size of a dish, dressing or drink you think would go nicely with what the guests have ordered.
Reduce the peak moment in every negative guest experience.
When you can see the guest is not particularly enjoying the food, offer to bring something else for them.
When a guest complains about a dish, do not argue, contradict or try and make it seem like the dish is perfect but they don't know what is what. Reduce the peak moment, by apologising & swiftly removing the offending dish from the table. Then convert it into a positive peak moment, buy having the Chef come over and prepare something off the menu.
Designing / Managing Ends
Remember, the end of a process is as important as the peak moment in the process.
Dining ends, usually with the bill being presented. Can you make this fun? Can you do something to keep the guest occupied or even entertained? Please, no customer satisfaction form or tool at this point. You want to create a good, last moment, not have them recollect the entire evening.
Gift & Farewell
We love gifts and we love a good farewell. Can you combine the two?
Make the server or the hostess walk the guests out, maybe even to the car, and make them hand over something - a small treat, a little note, a thank you card or coupon. Tell them the next time they visit or order for home delivery, the one dish they liked the most will be complimentary or 50% off.
It does not need to be about free stuff or discounts. You want to use the farewell, to remind them of the peak moment in the experience.
Want to make this WOW?
Do this for your team as well. What is the peak moment on the first day of your new joinees?
What is the farewell that your team gets at the end of each hard day of work/shift?
Surprise them, make them smile and you will see it travelling to your guests.
Let me try and End this on a sweet note. If this resonates with you, let's talk and see if we can add this to some of your critical processes. I am always on p.bedi@eclathospitality.com and ready to serve. p.s. this is free! :)