The Small Moments That Matter: Finding Trigger Points in Customer Experience

When I travel, I try to maintain my workout routine by exploring local spinning studios. This means enrolling in trial packages at different studios in cities like Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Australia. It’s always fascinating to see how each studio crafts its customer experience—from the booking confirmation email, check-in process, to introducing studio facilities, setting up the bike and concluding the session.

However, this article isn’t about mapping touchpoints in the customer journey (though that’s important). Instead, it’s about identifying trigger points—the small, often unexpected moments that significantly influence a customer’s experience.

What Are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are the seemingly minor but critical elements that can make or break a customer experience. These small, often surprising moments evoke strong emotional responses and can have an outsized impact on satisfaction and loyalty.

Take an example from the book The Ten Faces of Innovation published two decades ago. It described the importance of alarm clocks in hotels back when smartphones were not ubiquitous. For business travelers who frequently switched hotels, an easy-to-use alarm clock was more valuable than expensive amenities like a fancy showerhead. Trigger points like these are often overlooked but deeply impactful.

My Observations in Spinning Studios

For me, finishing a spinning session with a cold towel from the studio is a nice touch. Having earplugs available in the studio is a good addition, and having the coach assist first-timers in setting up their bikes is essential. But I kept asking myself: What could make the experience even better? What is the trigger point?

One overlooked moment stood out—the waiting time before the lesson begins. After first-timers change their clothes and sit outside the studio, waiting to enter can feel unnerving. Even as someone who spins regularly in Hong Kong, I still feel a bit anxious during this waiting period when attending a class at a new studio. I wonder about the studio’s layout, the available weights, and how the lighting will feel. For first-timers, this uncertainty could be even more intimidating.

The Potential for Improvement

If a spinning studio could find a way to reduce the nervousness of first-time students during this waiting period, it could significantly enhance the overall experience. Some simple solutions might include:

• Providing magazines in the waiting area, similar to what hair salons do.
• Offering a brief orientation video or a short walkthrough for first-timers while they wait.

By identifying and optimizing trigger points, studios—and any business—can turn small moments into meaningful improvements that resonate with their customers.