From Impressed to Obsessed: 12 Principles for Turning Customers and Employees into Lifelong Fans

CHAPTER 17

Deliver Pleasant Surprises

According to the table of contents, there are supposed to be 20 chapters in this book, but let’s just end here.

Did that last page come as a surprise? Probably. And chances are that chapter opening is something you’ll remember after finishing this book.

That’s because surprises, whether pleasant or unpleasant, tend to get seared into our memory. The surprise hijacks our cognitive resources as our brain tries to make sense of what’s going on (an autonomous reaction that has clear evolutionary benefits). This is why, for example, someone on the receiving end of a surprise birthday party will freeze in disbelief as they enter the room. That’s their brain essentially pausing everything as they process the ...