Disney's $100,000 Salt + Pepper Shaker

You're probably familiar with Randy Pausch.  If not, you should go and familiarize yourself with his story.  Randy is both a a tenured professor at Carnegie Mellon, a scientist, a husband and father. And he's dying of cancer. His last gift is for all of us, in the form of a video that's made it's way around the internet—as well as a precious book titled "The Last Lecture".  There are many stories worth talking about which Randy has put into words, but I wanted to take a moment to highlight one of them as it's helping me think through the idea of "Micro-Interactions".

The $100,000 Salt & Pepper Shaker

The story is simple.  At 12 years old, a young Randy Pausch was exploring Disney World with his family and he and his sister decided they wanted to show their parents their appreciation for the trip.  So they did what any other grateful children would do—they pooled their allowance money and headed straight for the Disney gift shop.  A few minutes later, they emerged with the perfect gift.  A ceramic Disney salt and pepper shaker featuring two bears in a tree holding the salt and pepper (not the ones in the photo above.)  Randy and his sister left the store excited to see their parents faces when they opened the gift.

Minutes later, a mini-tragedy struck when Randy accidentally dropped the shaker, breaking it on impact.  A nearby adult suggested that they should take it back to the store and they did so hesitantly, not expecting a positive outcome.  To their surprise and delight, the Disney employee who had sold them the items apologized for not wrapping them appropriately and gave them a new set, no questions  asked. 

So why is the Salt & Pepper Shaker worth $100,000?

As an adult faced with his own mortality, Randy looks back to that event with a unique perspective.  His whole family including his parents were so taken back by their "micro-interaction" with Disney, that they appreciated the institution on "a whole other level" to use his own words.  By Randy's calculations, over the years his family has enthusiastically spent over $100,000 with Disney brand over the years and they never forgot the symbolic importance of that one specific interaction.  In recent years as a consultant, Randy would often ask Disney executives this question:

"If I sent a child into one of your stores with a broken salt and pepper shaker today, would your policies allow your workers to be kind enough to replace it?"

Randy says, "the executives squirm at the question.  They know the answer: Probably not."  After Randy passes, his family will still have that salt and pepper shaker, and more than likely the memorable story that goes with it.  As we continue to look at the holistic relationship between marketing, products and the experience—it's worth noting that the little things really do matter.  More than we know.

Comments

[Steve Woodruff]

Wow. Just wow.

[Scott Sorheim]

Great story. I'm amazed at the number of people/businesses that don't understand the impact (positive or negative) that their interactions with customers will have on a future relationship.

[Robin Capper]

I have a similar story. 28 years ago a mechanic I'd just met fixed my brakes when I could not afford it, saying pay me when you can.

Never had a car serviced anywhere else.

[Robin Capper]

Just remembered had blogged my car story. See the link on this comment

[Stephen Hopson]

David:

You are 100 percent right that it's the little things that really matter. Absolutely.

And often times, those little things end up mushrooming into something bigger than any of us would have imagined. Life is like that. Full of mystery yet precise, especially with the timing of it all.

Thank goodness the Randy Pausch "last lecture" was subtitled for those who are hearing impaired like myself. I was able to fully follow and enjoy everything he had to say.

The popularity of his story demonstrates how much the world is dying to hear simple, unvarnished truths. Randy happened to be at the right place at the right time to share his messages that all of us could appreciate and grasp.

I hadn't heard about the salt and pepper shaker thing though. Very interesting. Thanks for a well written post - I heard about you from Chris Brogan via Twitter. :)

[minxlj]

That's the thing with companies who seem to have fiercely loyal fans. Apple, Disney, Honda - I've always been blown away by these three, their customer service AND attention to detail. There is an emotional attachment to a GOOD company, that draws customers back time and time again - it's a valuable and worthwhile marketing policy. Give them the unexpected! I'll never deviate from purchasing and enjoying these brands as long as they keep on valuing and impressing customers like me.

[Deb]

As I've noted before on other blogs, customer service is key. Companies NEED to realize how much it matters. It will win you or lose you that big customer or the little customer.

[David Armano]

Thanks everyone for the additional thoughts. I recently finished reading Randy's book and it's been influencing my thoughts profoundly. As I mentioned there are many stories worth re-telling, even more impactful than this, but for me this is a good place to start given what I'm talking about at the moment.

Minxj, Disney sure has a fiercly loyal following, but as Randy points out, they have to challenge themselves to continue doing those "little things" that create fierce loyalty in the first place.

Robin,
Thanks for referencing the car story—a great customer experience often times creates the best word of mouth.

Steve,
Read Randy's book. Wow indeed.

[Webconomist]

So essentially true. We think so much in the "now" that we forget to realize there is always a future; and we don't know today how that will evolve.

[david cushman]

brilliant dave! And only humans can do this. Empowered ones. Ones who have permission to do judge for themselves and do the right thing.

[Ken Stewart]

That is truly an inspiration. I often find myself looking to streamline processes and systems - it is what I do for a living, and how my mind works: make something quicker, better, faster.

However, this has to be balanced against the humanistic side of the equation - one a systems and processes driven engineer might overlook.

Part of making something better is often a process of identifying and supporting those small things that make up the whole.

However, people, myself included, often forget that it also takes a lot of this type of interaction to make a difference. This might have happened 100 other times with other goods or services and noone had the graciousness to see the grander implications of a 'micro-interacation' such as this.

Great post, and thank you for sharing. Now its time to pay it forward!

[Alex Pyatetsky]

Hey David,

Been paying attention to your blog for a while now, but this is my first post because I found the "Last Lecture" to be unexpectedly moving.

On Monday, June 16 2008, my aunt died of pancreatic cancer 6 months after being diagnosed, so this really hit close to home with me.

To be honest, I was only intending to watch the first few minutes of "the last lecture," but by that point, I found my jaw hanging. For the past 1/2 year I have been surrounded by a lot of crying and it was really uplifting to see someone take a different approach to the matter. I've shared the video with my entire family, so I really want to thank you for this.

If we're on the subject of micro-interactions creating immense value, consider the value that this video will create in the world. The "Last Lecture" was intended for Randy's children, filmed in front of an audience of his peers and students, but ultimately broadcast to the world. Randy tried to do something meaningful, but relatively small, and as a result, he has had a profound impact on countless lives all over the world. It may be difficult to quantify, but the value created is undeniable.

[Whitney Hess]

Randy Pausch was one of my professors at CMU. He taught the most difficult course I took to receive my degree in Human-Computer Interaction. It was called Programming Usable Interfaces and was essentially about how to express your ideas through functional prototypes. The course materials introduced me to the most prominent thought-leaders in the field (Jakob Nielsen, Don Norman, Jesse James Garrett, Steve Krug), and the assignments were unbelievably rigorous.

Randy insisted that any GUI developer or user experience designer (the course contained both types) worth his salt has to have the ability to prototype his ideas and the balls to test them with real people. And ultimately, the inner strength to admit he was wrong and make the design better.

You could say Randy is the opposite of a pushover; he often held a very hard line in class discussions. But despite all the times he and I clashed (in particular on the issue of whether AM/PM is a needed display in hotel alarm clocks: he matter-of-factly said no, I vehemently disagreed; years later I realized he was right), to this day I credit him -- his perspective, his tenacity and his endless passion for uplifting the human experience -- for making me the designer I am today.

He is going through what no human being ever deserves to experience, but he is owning it, reveling in the chance he's been given to say goodbye, and making an everlasting impression on this earth. All of us should be so lucky.

[John]

Randy's experience was nice, and clearly its impact has been to Disney's benefit. It always be hard to show people how to be nice and do nice things that can make a genuine difference but clearly worthwhile.
Once for a business exhibition I commissioned bottles of water branded with my business' logo. These turned out to be the most appreciated giveaway at the event. Why because I worked on the logic that delegates would be walking around for hours in a warm environment and would appreciate some water they could carry with them. Naturally this meant my brand was carried all around the venue, which generated further interest in our stand but at the same time generated much goodwill towards us because we were helping people meet their most basic need for free!
Being nice certainly does drive results!

[Dan Thornton]

I recently visited two department stores to browse purchases.

One lost a £50 sale because the assistants ignored us, made us feel like even serving us was a hassle, and generally made us feel unwelcome.

The other gained a £550 sale because they were informed and helpful, and in the end, the saving I could have made on the product by ordering online wasn't worth discouraging them from helping me in the future. It's also got recommendations from me...

6 months later, and I still haven't returned to Boots because I was so annoyed. And I'm regularly shopping at John Lewis because every time I've asked an assistant for help, they've been great -even if it wasn't for an immediate sale.

[Russell Fisher]

It is so interesting how often we hear stories of places like this, whether it be old Disney or new Zappos, and we say "wow" and then go back to our companies doing business as normal.

[Amit]

David - I couldnt agree more. These small things matter a lot. In econometrics terms -this $100,000 is the lifetime value. So, by just replacing a $20 (assuming) salt and pepper shaker, Disney increased the customer lifetime value by $100,000.

Companies should understand that 20% of their retained customers account for 80% of their revenue. So, try to keep them.

Amit (http://measuringemarketing.blogspot.com)

[David Wen]

My question for you all is this.

Compared to large and usually more impersonal Fortune 500 companies like a Disney, do you think positive and endearing "micro-interactions" happen more in small businesses?

[kelly]

this is a lovely story. Reminds me of when I did a tour of St Paul's in London. They told us that the front facade had been restored because of a donation by John Paul Getty II (five million pounds!) - when asked why he gave it he said he'd been there as a young boy and "enjoyed himself". The guide told us "...and now we treat all young boys very well.

[Alex von Oech]

"But we don't beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well," said Dr. Pausch

Pausch passed this morning.

I'd say he fought the 'Reaper' and won.

[wonderwebby]

well said. reminds me of two recent experiences.
1. Homeware shop saleswoman sees my 3yo break an $8 glass. She rushes over...to check that he is okay, to let him know they are not cross. She gives him and his little brother some animal soap so that they can leave the store feeling happy. We all leave feeling great.

2. We spend a crazy amount of money at a historical theme park. On the way out our 5yo accidentally drops his $8 glass memento as it slips from his paper bag. He cries hysterically. The saleswoman just shrugs. "Huh, kids." We all leave feeling awful.

[Mary Paul Stewart]

Priceless. Thanks for retelling.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the credo of every reputable business was "the customer is always right". Time for that pendulum to swing back.

[Wesley Ke]

Good story and good outcoming.

Sometimes we purchased a kind of understanding not only product itself.

[Kerry Williams]

I shop at Disney, Specifically, Walt Disney World, the theme parks, resorts, shoppes, and more, almost on a daily basis. I can say this sort of thing happens all the time, and the comment about Disney executives squirming, and saying the employees would probably NOT replace the salt and pepper shaker is absolutely untrue. They would replace it in a heart beat. I know Disney, and they are one of the few institutions that have only gotten better over time. They have implemented stricter rules and policies on returns and exchanges, within the last year, but they were a result of Disney employees, or former employees running scams on the retail end of the company. I myself have bought something of $100+ value, and while exiting the park, smacked the bag against the turnstile, and heard the sickening crunch of porcelain breaking and grinding together. I fought with my own morals and the fact that I rarely ever return anything, but it was such an investment... I took it back, and without a single complaint, they replaced the item, and the next time I saw one sold, they wrapped the box in bubble wrap to prevent breakage in the park. I had a truly Magical Experience. That was a week ago.

[disney store merchandise]

this story is so good. I used to love giving presents to my parents. the look on their face is worth millions.