The Anatomy of an Experience
Existence is complex, in other words, dependent. All things exist because of and in relation to other things. We exist in context. Living things are an amalgamation of our internal contexts, both natural behaviors and unnatural behaviors (behaviors influenced by external contexts). These natural and unnatural behaviors serve as our perspective, our current understanding of our own existence in the external context in which we exist. The introduction of new external contexts to our existing perspective cause new contextual relationships to form within our selves. The forming of these new relationships cause cognitive and or sensorial reactions which in some way, whether large or small, changes our current perspective. That changing perspective or shift in understanding constitutes an experience.
Experiences are not bound by time or place, they are bound by context. Because experiences are relational, they exist for as long as the contextual relationships that caused them exist. Experiences are not always memorable or lasting, however they can be, if the shift they cause to our perspective is significant enough. In The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath describe memorable and meaningful experiences as “defining moments”. Through their research they identified four elements, at least one of which is typically present when these defining moments occur. The first element is elevation, meaning that the moment rose above the normal course of events. The second element is insight, described as moments that significantly rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world. The third element is pride, which they define as a moment that “captures us at our best- moments of achievement or courage”. Lastly, a moment may hold significance if the moment allows us to connect with others or something in a meaningful way.
As was expressed in Lexie Kane’s article on the Peak-end rule, whether experiences are positive or negative, the things we remember most about them are the peaks, the most intense positive or negative moments of the experience, and the end of the experience. Chip and Dan Heath describe this peak-end rule as memorable “flagship moments: the peaks, the pits, and the transition”.
I’ve touched on what an experience is as well as what makes that experience memorable. Now I’d like to talk about what makes a customer experience different from most other experiences. The difference is intention. Like most experiences, customer experiences are reactions to new contexts, however in the case of customer experiences, these new contextual relationships are brought about by an entity which is intentionally attempting to shift the perspective of individuals toward a determined aim. This typically manifests as a person or organization attempting to persuade us to buy a product or change a behavior.
As was shared in Ted Karczewski’s article, “What’s the Difference Between an Experience and a Customer Experience?”, individuals perceive normal experiences and customer experiences in different ways. When our experiences are not caused by what are perceived as the intentioned actions of external entities, those experiences are seemingly viewed holistically. We typically remember these experiences in story form. When experiences are brought about by the perceived intentional actions of external entities, we tend to give importance/ consideration to each action (touch point) that collectively constitutes the experience. Because we see these intentioned experiences as a series of actions, brands have an opportunity to create “defining moments” in each of the moments they share with us.
Sources:
The Peak–End Rule: How Impressions Become Memories
What’s the Difference Between an Experience and a Customer Experience?
