In 2007, I read the outstanding book by Chip and Dan Heath titled, Made to Stick. In the book, the authors identified a number of principles that contribute to a message or experience being memorable.

One of those principles was unexpectedness.

In other words, if a message or experience is typical, common and expected, it’s likely to be forgotten. If, however, it’s unique, uncommon and unexpected, it’s more likely to be remembered.

Would you prefer to be forgettable or memorable in the eyes of your customer?

Mediocre customer service quality is typical, common and expected in most service settings. Exceptional customer service, by contrast, is unique, uncommon and unexpected. It stands out. It leaves a positive lasting impression.

And because exceptional customer service is unexpected, as customers, we’re generally pleasantly surprised when we receive it.

I recall a true story that illustrates the power of the unexpected:

Years ago, the executive team of a Marriott hotel in Denver, CO was making a sales presentation to a group of executives from United Airlines. The Marriott hotel was competing with a number of local hotels for a significant number of airline crew room nights for the upcoming year.

While the Marriott’s director of sales and general manager were making their pitch from the front of the board room, a cell phone began to ring from the inside pocket of the general manager’s suit jacket.

At first, the general manager seemed to ignore the call and continued his presentation. When it was clear that the phone was beginning to distract the group’s attention, he paused, reached inside his suit jacket pocket, and removed the ringing cell phone.

As his executive team sat mortified that, not only had he forgotten to turn off his phone, he was actually about to accept a phone call in the middle of a crucial sales presentation to the dismay of the waiting United Airlines executives.

It was in that moment that the general manager answered his phone, looked at the senior United Airlines executive and, with a wry smile, said, “Excuse me sir. I have Bill Marriott on the phone. He’d like to personally ask for your business.”

Marriott was awarded the contract. Are you surprised?

Companies that make me laugh create positive memories for me—of the service experience and brand. Using appropriate humor is an authentic way for companies to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Here’s an example from Chipotle Mexican Grill:

Employees at Chipotle place to-go orders in brown bags with handles. Handles are unique—you don’t see that at most quick service restaurants—but what’s truly memorable to me is the message printed on the bottom of its bags:

Don’t throw this bag away!

Try these other uses:

• Cat carrier
• Put handles over ears…hands-free burrito eating
• 401(k) statements filing receptacle
• NOT recommended as a parachute

Besides reinforcing the importance of recycling, Chipotle uses appropriate humor to extend the service experience from the restaurant to the customer’s home or office.

Compare Chipotle’s to-go bag with one from a typical quick service restaurant. What’s different about it? Chipotle’s bag is so unique to me that I devoted a blog entry to it. In an environment where so many products and services are seen as bland, ordinary, and routine, Chipotle’s to-go bag makes an impression!

Look around your own business. What are some ways that you can transform products and services that are ordinary into something unique and refreshing—using appropriate humor, design, or some other attribute?

Last Friday night, our family ate out at Ted’s Montana Grill. The menu was kid friendly as was our server, Jonathan, but what really got our attention was the individually packaged Wikki Stix www.wikkistix.com that were provided to each of our older children (ages 4, 5 & 8).

Like most parents of young children, we have come to expect a set of crayons and disposable children’s placemats with a menu on one side and a variety of games (Word Search, Connect the Dots, Crossword Puzzle, etc.) and coloring options on the other. Our children have come to expect the same and, on occasion, are not sufficiently engaged to avoid the restlessness that begins to set in after waiting 10 or 15 minutes for their meals to arrive.

The Wikki Stix, however, were brilliant! Described on the packaging as “twistable, stickable, buildable, playable one-of-a-kind creatables!”, these were novel in their simplicity. Each package contained several Wikki Stix in a variety of bright colors. They were bendable and self-adhesive in order to form a limitless number of designs. One of my boys made a surfer on a surfboard! His brother made a representation of Indiana Jones! Kennedy, as I recall, fashioned hers into a pony.

They continued playing with the Wikki Stix right up until the time their food arrived at the table. That gave my wife and I a chance to check in with each other—at least in the few minutes we had between pacifying our 18 month-old, Carter, who is too young for Wikki Stix!

We enjoyed our entrees, the service was great—especially for a busy Friday night—and the price was reasonable. Even so, there are a dozen other restaurants in the area that offer a comparable experience. That is, until you ask the kids where they want to go.

Despite the fact that they enjoyed their hamburgers and macaroni and cheese entrees, they want to return to the restaurant “with the Wikki Stix!”

It’s yet another example of something that is unique, refreshing, and unexpected winning out over the bland, uneventful, and predictable. Look around your business. What are you continuing to offer that customers may perceive as typical or ordinary? How could you alter it to make it unique and memorable?