Disproportionate joy.

Small things = good business.

Brittney Hodak is a customer experience expert who spoke at a conference I attended last week. She shared whimsical ideas aimed at making the customer experience more delightful.

And she demonstrated how these (free and inexpensive) touches are good business.

It’s a case of disproportionate joy: The ability for something small to make us feel really good.

Consider the ways the following businesses infuse fun into their day-to-day:

  • Dapper Dog Grooming in Kingston, MA
    Instead of the typical “Extra Large” label for dogs over 81 pounds, they call this category “Whoa.” Are you smiling yet?
  • Track your progress
    This website is so packed with hidden “Easter eggs” (little surprises for visitors to discover) that they’ve created a page to track how many you’ve found. Every click feels like a treasure hunt!
  • Ben & Jerry’s
    We all know their zany ice cream flavors like Chunky Monkey, Wavy Gravy, and Chubby Hubby. But did you know Ben & Jerry’s Vermont headquarters features a cemetery for “retired” flavors? Yes, complete with gravestones! (RIP Schweddy Balls.)
Paige and son at Ben & Jerry's cemetery of retired flavors.

My son and I at Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Cemetery

So sure, a business owner can infuse some fun into their business because they’re in charge.

But it’s just as important to empower staff to add playfulness to their interactions when the moment feels right. Some employees might not realize they have the freedom to “shake things up.”

For example, could your staff run their emails through ChatGPT, prompting it to rewrite the email with more charm?

Or create an “inside joke” with a loyal customer?

Could they add some Sour Patch Kids candy to a regular shipment of widgets?

I just ordered these watercolor paint sets. My estimators can hand them out to kids while we do a painting estimate for their parents.

Not expensive.

Not difficult.

But it’s a tiny way to add some joy to the slog of a Tuesday afternoon.

Is it possible to make a customer smile before they even meet us?

I say, “Yes.”