Yes. Customers, whose journeys end on a high and customers whose journeys include a positive surprise are more loyal.

This blog is part of a series how customer journeys drive loyalty (scroll to the end for all resources).

Our Data Confirms The Peak-End-Rule For Customer Journeys

The peak-end-rule states that people judge their experience as the average of how it felt at its peak and at its end. Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Fredrickson first described this in 1993 through a study of patients experiencing pain. Their memories then determine what they do next.

Our data shows that customers whose journeys don’t end on a high and who don’t experience positive surprises are less loyal: Among banking customers who did not experience a positive surprise during their journey, the share of very-low-loyalty customers was nearly 10 times higher than among those who did. Similarly, when journeys don’t end on a high note, the share of very-low-loyalty customers is about seven times higher than when they do.

Design And Measure Highs And Ends Of Customer Journeys

For each journey:

  • Plan for peaks: Singapore’s Changi Airport created its majestic Jewel Rain Vortex and Chewy’s decided to send pet owners sympathy cards after their pet dies. But peaks can also be evoked by avoiding industry-typical pain points. For example, Buc-ee’s has well-maintained and clean bathrooms, differentiating it from other highway rest stops.
  • Uplevel journey endings: Disney World and Disneyland added a car locator function to their app that directs visitors to their car at the end of the day.

Then, measure journey highs and ends. Use feedback or sentiment analysis to understand whether customers perceive your intended peaks or signature moments as a positive surprise and whether customers feel positive at the end.

a copilot created image showing a pinboard with all kinds of images but only the high moment and the end are highlighted

What should you do next?

Don’t stop at changing how you measure and design journeys for peaks and ends. Dive into our other key findings and recommendations for improving journeys in ways that drive loyalty:

Share