The small things make a big difference

I recently ordered a watch strap on Amazon. I didn't research much. I just found a product that had over 4.5 stars in ratings, skimmed through the reviews, and placed my order. When the strap arrived, I thought I'd have to go to my usual watch repair guy to get it fitted. But to my surprise—after I opened the package—I realized I wouldn't have to do that.

You see, besides the strap, the package also contained a spring bar tool—a thin metallic implement that helps remove or attach a watch strap to a dial. Thanks to this tool, I was able to change the strap myself (an activity that warmed the cockles of my DIY heart) within a minute or so, thus saving time, money, and effort.

This inclusion of a small piece of metal has now etched the brand's name in my mind strongly. If I have a similar need in the future or if someone asks me for a recommendation, my first suggestion would be to try this brand. And I'm sure many other customers would feel the same way.

Now I'd like to share a contrasting experience with a different product. This one involves a brand of fabric conditioner and a messy hand. This is a brand I bought just once and stopped buying after that. And the reason for it had nothing to do with the product's quality.

The problem was that the spout of the container was oddly designed. Whenever I poured the liquid into the washing machine's compartment and brought the container back up, a little bit of conditioner would spill and get deposited into a groove at the spout's base. And due to this deposit, unscrewing the container's cap became difficult during later usage. The spout's design left the place messy every single time and made the simple act of unscrewing the cap cumbersome. This was a small issue but it infuriated me to no end. So I vowed not to buy that brand of fabric conditioner ever again (so dramatic, but I'm sure you can relate).

Though these two experiences are markedly different from one another, there's one thing that's common to both: It's the small things that made an impact. In the first case, the small thing helped earn the customer's respect and loyalty, whereas in the second, it made the customer stay away from the product.

Of course, customers do not choose a product primarily for these small touches, but when done right, the small things can make a big difference and help increase customer loyalty.

Adding value is a must

Any small thing or enhancement you offer must actually add value to your product and the overall experience one way or another. It should make things easier or help save time and/or effort. Take the ribbon bookmarks in old hardbound books, for instance. They serve a purpose and don't exist just for the sake of decoration.

Another example would be the spikes inside the caps of ointment tubes. To untrained eyes, they might seem pointless, but those pointy things are there for a reason: piercing the aluminium seal of the tube. And the best part is they're part of the product itself and not sold separately.

To sum up with another inspiration from the world of literature, I'd say the small things in your offering must follow the Chekhov's gun principle. If they exist, they must serve a purpose.

Keep it simple, silly

Many times, getting the basics perfectly right is a small thing in itself that could create a positive impact. To quote some cliches, there's no need to reinvent the wheel or fix things that aren't broken. Here's a funny example that illustrates why it's not always essential to come up with new ways to do old things.

I clearly remember an episode from one of my previous roles. There was a UI update in the product, wherein the names of the modules were replaced with icons representing them. This update caused massive furor among customers, and our community forum and support tickets were flooded with angry comments from users who demanded a rollback of the update. The update was rolled back in a day or two and everything returned to normalcy.

So what's the moral of this story?

There's an assumption that customers/users, by nature, hate change. But nothing could be further from the truth. Customers do appreciate change when it impacts their day-to-day work positively. It's when the change complicates the usual way of doing things that customers resist it.

Think, think, and think again

It's imperative to invest a lot of thought into your offering and any other customer-facing activity. Wonder why your mailer isn't performing well? Maybe it asks end-users to fill out a huge form and takes them from one place to another, through a sequence of clicks. Would you appreciate it if some other brand puts you through this same lengthy regime for a whitepaper or case study? Think about that and then decide accordingly.

Thoughtfulness in design and operations speaks for itself and implicitly assures customers that you care for them. That's why it's important to do your own R&D, talk regularly with your customers, and implement customer feedback wherever possible. When it comes to initiatives pertaining to inclusivity/disability-friendliness especially, having representatives from customer groups ensures that their voice is heard and that your offering makes life easier for them.

They say that many a drop makes an ocean. Similarly, even small, thoughtful additions or changes in your offerings can make a big difference in customer experience and help you earn more customer trust and loyalty. What are some small things that made a big difference to you as a customer? Or what's a small thing from your side that made a big difference to your customers? Feel free to share them all in the comments.