I recently got my first tattoo. As I sat there getting my skin poked, I wondered, “Wow, how do people keep coming back with this pain!?”
The tattoo artist told me, “Yes, people tend to forget about the pain after a while.”
And you know what? He was absolutely right!
Going to the second appointment, I remembered what I had felt the first time, but somehow the sharp pain still took me by surprise.
And yet I still plan to do it again someday
That's exactly what the peak and end rule is all about . Even if the afghanistan telemarketing data experience wasn't the best because of the pain, I was so happy with the result that I don't even mind the nasty punctures.
The peak end rule graph
It can also work the other way around. If the feeling that lingers after an experience is negative, it will mark it, even if it was pretty good overall.
This happens because our brain only remembers the peak and the end of our experience: and especially the sensations we had at those moments.
The peak refers to the most intense feeling we have during the experience, whether it is pleasant or bad. The end is the last moment of the experience.
The sum of those two moments marks our memories of that experience. The rest… we forget.
Examples of positive peaks Examples of negative peaks
A pleasant surprise A negative surprise
Relief Pain
Entertainment Boredom
Happiness Gonna
Pleasure Frustration
Cooperation Misunderstanding
Comfort Discomfort
Support Doubt
Success Failure
Peak and End Rule in Customer Experience
You can probably guess that the peak-and-end rule plays an important role in customer experience.
If you ask your customers after a while how they feel about your brand, the answer will be dictated by peak and tail effects.
Are there any tricks or peak and end rules I can use to improve customer experience?
Sure! Many UI designers make use of these tricks, as do marketers. Gamification, ensuring seamless experiences, and leaving positive after-effects are some of the tactics to employ.
You can even apply it to your own life with the mental strategies of the peak and end rule.
