Designing Transformational Customer Experiences

Anyone who has recently travelled, gone shopping, or tried to have a problem solved may have little recollection of the experience. Worse yet, some are frustrated by the lack of responsiveness or empathy that they encountered. The reality is that most customer experiences are mediocre, forgettable, and some are plain awful. But once in a blue moon, an experience is so great that it leaves positive memories for years. Why do some product or service experiences have that undeniable "wow" factor, while others lack that pizzazz, relegating them to either being loathed or erased from memory? This case prepares participants for an in-class exercise in which they discover design principles that make experiences great. The exercise uses two methodologies: LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) and Storytelling. It requires the purchase of special purpose LEGO® elements. Teaching Note for HBS No. 617-051.