Most companies strive to satisfy their customers. That’s why they run customer satisfaction surveys to see if they are succeeding. But is customer satisfaction a worthy goal? I believe satisfaction is the bare minimum of what a customer should get in their experience.

Sure it’s perfectly fine that the customer wants your product or service and you sell it to her at a fair price and deliver in a timely manner. But that doesn’t make the experience meaningful or memorable. Providing a consistent awesome experience requires planning and structure often far beyond the desire or capabilities of many companies.

Recently, a friend, writing coach Carolyn Roark visited one of her favorite Kimpton Hotels. She was bragging to me how they surprised and delighted her with a gift of mimosas by the pool. It didn’t take much thought or money to create a simple experience that got her talking, sharing and promoting their brand. So Carolyn and I thought we would stimulate your brain with eight simple ideas on how to delight your customers right away.