I don’t know about you, but the things that delight me these days are very different from what delighted me a year ago. Last week, I texted a friend in my “covid bubble,” who I knew was going out of town, and begged her to let me “house sit” for the weekend. And by “house sit” I mean: stay in her beautiful house all by myself to crank out a project and get a change of scenery. Did I mention that she lives less than one mile away? It’s the little things right now!
Here’s another thing that’s changed for me over the past four months: online shopping. I’m such a grandma and rarely shop online. I’m so edited about anything I allow in the house (Dave will eye-rolling-ly confirm) and spend money on, that I must see, touch, and feel it to ensure it’s something that I really want.
And here’s what I’ve found: I care just as much about the packaging of my online purchases as I do for the purchase itself. Product packaging is the first impression that creates or lets down an opportunity for client delight.
If you’ve been around for awhile, you know that I love snail mail (sheesh – I really am a grandma); gifts; and all-around delighting people with a great experience. So of all the little online shopping treats I may have indulged in over the past couple months, it was a simple candle from Catbird NYC that really blew me away.
And you know the coming punchline. It wasn’t about the candle. It was about its packaging. The experience of opening that box made me literally squeal, for the thought and care put into every detail made all the difference.
I’d love to show you each layer…
First, I opened the mail box to beautiful tissue paper, printed with antique photographs and sparkly(!) washi tape.
When I unfold the tissue paper, this beautiful card with poignant font and alliteration was waiting for me. I’m sure that “Let us all be a bird of beauty” is a sophisticated reference to literature or a poem. But that’s above my pay grade. All I know is: I love a note; it doesn’t matter what it says!
I removed the note and underneath it was a notepad! Did I mention that I’m a grandma? Handwritten to-do lists are kind of my thing.
And then… wait for it. This is when I yelled in a high pitch voice, “DAVE! GET IN HERE!”
He comes running.
“What? Are you okay?”
“LOOK AT MY NEW PEN! And a dainty book of matches! AND A MINIATURE PAPER FLOWER. DO YOU SEE THIS!?”
“Ummm, yep. Can I go now?”
But no. Dave could not leave yet. Because on my new candle box, it said that it smelled like afternoon naps. Of course a candle meant to remind you of Summer in Italy smells like afternoon naps! Why didn’t I think of that?
And then last bit (promise) was opening the candle to a clever, mini record player and a reading list. A reading list! I’m one for 11 on this book list so need to get to work.
And not for nothing but this was all just perfectly timed to have the candle burning during our Sicilian wine tasting! But let me veer us back to the main point…
This post may have come off as a little silly to some (and if a new pen doesn’t send you to the moon, I guess I understand). But I do want to underscore the sentiment and tie it to what we talked about last week with our wine tasting: experience matters. It always has and it always will, but my gosh. It really, really, really matters right now.
Every touch point that we have with our clients and customers matters. We must seize each opportunity that we have to delight, igniting their senses and emotions. It matters. Especially right now.
