Stan Phelp's Blog

The Goldfish Chronicles

Sharing insights on customer experience, employee engagement, and brand strategy.

YOU ARE INVITED to the Black Goldfish Virtual Book Launch on Twosday.

Yes Twosday…. the book launch is on Tuesday, 2.22.22.

Tickets are complimentary. You can register on Eventbrite here: https://lnkd.in/dUyq_7fx

A decade in the making, I’m excited to share 10 Key Takeaways from Black Goldfish. Black is the 11th color and the first hardcover in the series.

Black Goldfish is the culmination of everything I’ve learned about creating a differentiated experience (DX) by studying over 5,000 case studies. To quote Alecia Beth Moore (P!NK), “That’s all I know, that’s all I know so far.” 

Hope to see you on Twosday!

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Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Two years ago I received an unexpected surprise while flying on Delta Air Lines. I was on my way back from Phoenix after a keynote.

There was a handwritten note nestled in the seatback. It read:

Mr. Phelps:
Good evening. Just a very quick note to extend our THANKS. Wishing you all the BEST.
– John Hunter

I was touched by the gesture. I thanked John and took a selfie (technically an “ussie”) with him while deplaning.

This thoughtful little extra is an example of the Purple Goldfish of Follow Up. It’s a smart move for the following reasons:

1. Demonstrates you care – The transaction isn’t over when money is exchanged. It shows the customer that you are concerned about their satisfaction and willing to make the effort.

2. Low or no cost – This is something that can be done during a lull in the ordinary course of business.

3. Troubleshooting – The vast majority of people will not complain. Following up allows you to uncover and correct any service issues. Doing so can strengthen bonds and extend the life of your customer relationships. 

How are you following up with customers? Simply following up is one of the simplest ways to build repeat business and referrals.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

What’s large, noisy, and claustrophobic?

It’s a magnetic resonance imaging machine. MRI’s are unnerving for adults. My good friend and fellow speaker Peter Agiovlassitis just had a bad experience in one this past week.

It was going well as Peter listened to one of his favorite bands AC/DC. Then he made the cardinal mistake. As the machine whirred and clanked around him… he opened his eyes. A minute later he was out of the MRI with an incomplete scan.

As bad as it is for adults, imagine what a child must experience. That’s where the LEGO Group comes in. They have launched a new community engagement program where they provide complimentary LEGO MRI sets to hospitals.

This will allow children to learn all about MRI’s before undergoing the real scan. Credit to LEGO employee Erik Ullerlund Stæhr for the idea. His goal was to reduce anxiety and make their experience more playful and less scary.

In Yellow Goldfish, co-authored with Rosaria Cirillo Louwman, we shared a similar solution involving GE Healthcare and a brilliant idea by Doug Dietz.

Here’s the quick story. Doug was part of a team that created a brand new, beautiful GE MRI machine. While he was proudly waiting to see his design live in the hospital, Doug encountered a young patient about to be scanned. She was clearly terrified, tears rolling down her face. Doug suddenly saw the situation through her eyes. He was gutted.

“The room itself is kind of dark and has those flickering fluorescent lights,” he remembers in his TEDx talk. He added, “that machine that I had designed basically looked like a brick with a hole in it.”

This moment altered his perspective forever. He knew he had to make a change. The goal was to make the MRI experience less terrifying. How could he create an experience that children would love?

From this new approach came an amazing series of story adventures and decorated rooms. The child enters something like a pirate ship for the scan. Their imaginations are fired up with an adventure and the scan is done with no stress.

Here’s the best part of the story. Patient satisfaction scores went up to 90%. Children suffered less anxiety during their MRI scans. Some even ask their parents if they could “come back tomorrow” and do it again. Employees benefitted from the lack of drama. Society benefitted as scans are more accurate and can be done more quickly.

As for my buddy Peter A., there is no LEGO playset or grand adventure planned for next week. Just some soothing music and a valium for his next scan. And perhaps an eye-mask just in case.

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John Madden

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Want to earn a $3 tip? Then pick up your own pizza from Domino’s to earn a little extra cash.

The effort by the Ann Arbor company comes after the pizza chain announced its first quarterly sales decline in over a decade this past Fall. Why did sales slide 1.9%?

It turns out that you can’t deliver pizzas if you don’t have delivery drivers. Domino’s is struggling like everyone in the industry over staffing shortages.

According to reporting in The Wall Street Journal, “Chief Executive Richard E. Allison Jr. said on an October earnings call that staffing could ‘remain a significant challenge in the near term,’ while adding that the company was trying to improve operations in stores to operate with less labor.”

How does the saying go, “When life gives you a lack of delivery drivers, make some of your own.” A new Domino’s commercial features a woman picking up her own pizzas. As she does, her clothes morph into a Domino’s uniform and her car becomes a delivery vehicle. 

This incentive is a great example of the Purple Goldish of a “throw-in.” A little something extra that’s thrown in for good measure. Here’s how the TIP works. Customers are given a code for a discount on their next order.

While the precise origin of the word TIP is uncertain, it is commonly traced to coffeehouses in seventeenth-century England. The word “tips” was first used for gratuities. A jar with a sign reading, “To Insure Prompt Service” sat on the counter. You put a coin in the jar to be served quickly.

Part of the reason why Domino’s is willing to give you $3 is based on how they’ve withheld from using other delivery apps. Unlike their competition, they’ve gone out of their way to snub the likes of DoorDash and Uber Eats. The $3 offer follows other efforts to promote its own app such as the Domino’s FREES program and its effort to give away gift certificates from small independent restaurants.

Would I pick my own pizza from Domino’s? I think I might do it just so I can tell my favorite personal pizza joke:

“Would you like your pizza cut in six slices or eight?”

“Oh, you better cut it in six slices, I don’t think I can eat eight.”

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

The best non-Super Bowl promotion ever. Fifteen years ago today the FedEx packages began to arrive all around the US. 133,000 black boxes to be exact.


Each black box contained five bags of pita chip snacks. The only other thing in the box was a short note of four words:

TO STACY, FROM STACY

It turns out there are 133,000 people in this country with the first or last name of Stacy. Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, Inc. founded by Stacy Madison was embarking on a massive sampling campaign just ahead of the Super Bowl.

If you spelled your name Stacey… no chips for you. Only Stacy’s like my friend and fellow CX speaker Stacy Sherman received the packages.

In lieu of buying a 30-second spot during the big game for $2.6 million, the company decided to put its money where viewers’ mouths were. The sampling program cost a little more than a million dollars.

I love this “super” promotion as an example of the Purple Goldfish of sampling. A little something extra thrown in for good measure. I have written how Bigelow Tea, SEPHORA, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Great Harvest Bread Co., and Starbucks leverage sampling as a powerful marketing tool. I call sampling the lowest-hanging fruit in marketing.

A bit of background, Stacy Madison founded the chip company by way of sampling. Stacy and Mark Andrus had a food cart in Boston that served pita sandwiches. It became popular and lines began to form around the block.

To satiate the waiting, they took home the leftover pita bread each day, cut them into pieces, seasoned them with a dash of parmesan garlic or cinnamon sugar, and then baked them. They’d hand out little bags of pita chips to customers in line. At first, they were free, and then people were asking to pay for the chips. The chip company was born.

By 2006, Stacy’s Pita Chips reached $65 million in revenue. The company was sold to PepsiCo where it now operates under the FRITO LAY division. The price tag was a quarter of a billion dollars.

How are you giving a little extra to your customers? It’s a super idea.

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John Madden

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Supersandwich Me. Would you eat a Land, Air & Sea at McDonald’s?

That is the menu hack for ordering a Big Mac, McChicken, and a Filet-O-Fish. It creates a $9.57 supersandwich. In the words of Julian Broadway, “It’s the flavor that I never knew I needed, until I needed it. Go big baby!”

It is one of four hacks that are officially now on the menu at the Golden Arches. The Land, Air & Sea is joined by the Surf & Turf (Double Cheesburger + Filet-O-Fish), Crunchy Double (Double Cheesburger + 6 McNuggets with BBQ sauce), and the Hash Brown McMuffin.

There is a small catch though. Assembly not included. You are on your own to put the stacked sandwiches together.

Do you have a favorite hack at McDonald’s? For years, my go-to was a small request. I would order my fries with no salt. This accomplishes two things:

1. Eliminate oversalting or undersalting. This is a minor benefit.
2. Here’s the major. Fries no salt guarantees that you get your fries piping hot. Workers pull your fries before they salt the rest of the new batch.

The Pink Goldfish micro-weird practice of menu hacks are not a new thing. Taco Bell is probably the leader in the clubhouse. Its fans are notoriously hacking up items.

As far as ordering secret-menu items, In-N-Out Burger is the king. In fact, my dinner on March 10, 2020 was a cheeseburger with animal-style fries at In-N-Out. Animal-style fries come topped with all the fixings (cheese, pickles, tons of grilled onions) mixed in their secret sauce. Call it my “Last Supper” before COVID. I enjoyed it while out in Las Vegas for a keynote. The next day my engagements that week in Indianapolis and Columbus, plus the rest of my speaking schedule for the Spring was wiped out.

Back to McD’s. Look for commercials highlighting the hacks. In the words of VP of U.S. Marketing, Brand Content and Engagement Jennifer Healan,

“This campaign shows that it has never been ‘our menu’ — the menu belongs to our fans… We’re excited to celebrate them in a bigger way than ever before by putting their delicious hacks – as seen on social media – on our menus. I personally can’t wait for our fans to try my favorite hack, the Hash Brown McMuffin. IYKYK.”

I feel you Jennifer. I’ve said this before. The Sausage McMuffin (or beer) is proof that there is a God and he loves us.

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John Madden

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Wow, this is a touching “Pay it Forward” moment from sports fans.

Credit to KC’s Brett Fitzgerald for sparking the effort. Part of the Chiefs Kingdom, Brett kicked things off by posting about his initial $13 donation on Facebook and Twitter. The 13 is in reference to the improbable game-tying drive by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs that took just 13 seconds last weekend.

The donations are going to a charity that the Bills quarterback Josh Allen supports. The campaign went viral and has raised nearly $500,000 for the hospital.

The Chiefs Kingdom is paying a tribute to the Bills Mafia.

According to BuffaloNews.com, Buffalo fans have pioneered these charitable efforts. For example:

– sparked by Bills fans, more than 27,000 donors from around the world contributed $1.15 million to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in memory of Josh Allen’s grandmother this past Fall.

– more than 18,450 Bills fans donated $553,000 to Blessings in a Backpack in January 2021, after Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was concussed in the Bills’ divisional round playoff victory.

– more than 17,000 Bills fans donated $442,000 to the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation in 2018, after the then-Cincinnati Bengals quarterback threw a late touchdown pass to defeat the Ravens in the 2017 regular-season finale, which ended the Bills’ 17-year playoff drought.

I wonder if Cincinnati will pay it forward and shakedown their fans?

After all, the Berlin Wall was still standing the last time the Bengals went to the Super Bowl. Perhaps $15 donations to 15 and the Mahomies. Or $18 to signify the improbable comeback. The Foundation supports initiatives that focus on health, wellness, communities in need of resources.

After all, who beats the “Who Dey” Bengals Fans?

Nobody.

I think that’s an offer they can’t refuse.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

What did I learn by examining 5,000 business case studies?

“Black Goldfish” is the culmination of all my work over the last decade. A journey that has included 12 coauthors and 16 Goldfish books.

Here are 10 takeaways from the upcoming book on 2.22.22:

1. There is one word that comes from New Orleans that epitomizes the need to exceed customer expectations. That word is lagniappe. It is a Creole word meaning “the gift” or “to give more.” It is a signature personal touch by the business that creates differentiation and promotes word of mouth.

2. In business, price is what you pay. And price is only relevant to the value received. Value is what you get. Maintenance represents the business processes you are subjected to. The effort you need to make during an experience. The combination of value and maintenance nets out to be about a feeling.

3. An engaged workforce is key. Because value is created in the last two feet of a transaction—the space between the employee and the customer. 

4. Not all of your customers and employees are created equal. Know your “vital few.”

5. Companies that have a strong, defined purpose find that it drives employee engagement, connects with customers, and fuels the bottom line. 

6. It’s easy to follow the crowd. It feels safe. But it’s not. Successful brands stick out. They are unusual. Don’t apologize for your flaws and don’t try to fix them. Instead, exploit your imperfections.

7. There is no black and white approach to leadership. There isn’t a clear-cut path to becoming a great leader. You have to use a variety of techniques to overcome challenges and get the most from five generations of employees.

8. Business is a game. And the key to winning in sales is managing relationships and minimizing pressure.

9. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Communication occurs when your audience can repeat your message in their language.

10. Your brand today is no longer what you tell people it is. It is the differentiated experience your employees deliver. It is what you stand for and how your customers feel. And most importantly, your brand is what your customers and employees tell others about their experience. All else is derivative of this and only this.

To quote Alecia Beth Moore (aka P!NK), “That’s all I know, that’s all I know so far.”

https://www.slideshare.net/9INCHMARKETING/what-i-learned-by-examining-5000-business-case-studies

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Wow! How about this potential perk for a new employee? A new house.

Last month I wrote about Florida-based Mechanical One. The AC and plumbing provider is giving away two mortgage-free homes to employees. It’s my most viewed and commented-on post ever on LinkedIn.

The company has bought two lots for the three-bedroom, two-bath homes and has set aside a $500,000 budget for the project. Two employees will be randomly selected this December for the benefit.

CEO Jason James shared with the Orlando Sentinel, “My passion is really trying to reinvent employee appreciation,” James said. “Our business model is really, if we take care of our people, they are going to do more for us than any marketing budget.”

About 100 employees will qualify for the drawing if they meet three requirements:

1. Retention – work with Mechanical One a full year before the drawing
2. Training – take a financial literacy class paid for by the company
3. Pay It Forward – give 20 hours of community service at a nonprofit

Is this over the top? Maybe not. A study by PwC found that upwards of 65% of employees are searching for a new job. Retention is more critical than ever.

My concept of a Green Goldfish is the idea of giving little extras. Fifteen different ways to drive engagement and reinforce culture beyond dollars. To be clear, this isn’t a little extra. This is a big bold action. Perhaps the biggest I’ve ever seen.

Is this too much? Will other companies follow suit?

My answers: NO and I wouldn’t bet your house on it.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

“The little things are infinitely the most important.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shared this axiom in “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.”

I agree with Conan Doyle and believe that great brands employ this elementary idea.

They purposely go above and beyond to provide a little something extra to honor the relationship with customers. In doing so they create a differentiated experience (DX) that drives retention and promotes positive word of mouth.

I call these little extras Purple Goldfish. Over the last 12 years, I’ve researched over 1,500 examples.  I’ve found there are 10 ways to either add value or reduce effort for customers. Here they are with an example of each:

1. Throw-ins – little extras that are included with your product or service. Something thrown-in for good measure.

Example: DoubleTree by Hilton provides you with a warm chocolate chip cookie when you check-in.

2. Sampling – an additional taste by offering a free something extra on the house. 

Example: Order a box of tea from Bigelow and you’ll be treated to a sample of another flavor.

3. First & Last Impressions – you have two chances to make an impression. These are little things to make you memorable.

Example: Moe’s Southwest Grill is known for its signature welcome, “Welcome to Moe’s!” 

4. Guarantees – that little extra pledge that you’ll stand behind your product or service. 

Example: Hampton Inn by Hilton has a satisfaction guarantee, “If you’re not 100% satisfied, we don’t expect you to pay.” 

5. Pay it Forward – giving a little extra back to the community. 

Example: TOMS matches every pair of shoes purchased with a new pair of shoes for a child in need. 

6. Follow Up / Thank You – little extras to follow up with your customer and/or to say thank you. 

Example: Mitchell’s writes five handwritten notes per day to thank its best customers.

7. Added Service – the little extra that’s an added unexpected service. 

Example: Safelite AutoGlass repairs your windshield, but they also vacuum your car and clean your windows.

8. Convenience – the little extras you add to make things easier.

Example: TD Bank is open 7 days a week and some nights until 8 p.m.

9. Waiting – all customers hate to wait. If it’s inevitable, how can you do a little extra to make it more bearable? 

Example: Free peanuts while you wait at Five Guys.

10. Handling Mistakes – admitting that you’re wrong and doing a little extra to make it more than right.

Example: Boloco keeps an ear out for less-than-completely-satisfied feedback and bends over backward to make things right. Is the salsa mysteriously missing from your burrito? A free menu item will be magically added to your rewards card.

Do you know any companies that purposely exceed the expectations of their customers with little extras? What’s your favorite Purple Goldfish?

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

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I've had the pleasure of working with teams at:

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Find Your Best-Match Program

With over 18 possible keynote speaking presentations, workshops, and GOLDFISH TANK programs available to meet your ever-evolving needs, I’ve created this 2-minute, 6-question quiz to help you understand which program is best for you and your audience.

Meet Your Presenter

Through keynote speaking presentations, hands-on workshops, and GOLDFISH TANK programs, I empower you to power loyalty and growth.

Hi, I’m Stan Phelps. I work with organizations that want to increase loyalty, drive sales, and promote positive word-of-mouth by creating differentiated experiences.

As an author, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator, my in-person and virtual programs stand out in a sea of sameness because I model my own message of differentiated experience (DX).

I leverage my unique collection of more than 5,500 case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with practical ideas that inspire action.

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Every time we do business together, Something amazing happens in the world!

Through my partner B1G1, each program gives back to create global IMPACT

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When we complete a GOLDFISH TANK, we give 1001 days of clean water to school children

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When we complete a GLOBAL engagement, we give 365 days of clean water access in Peru, 120 days of learning aids in Malaysia, and 50 days of business training for women in Malawi

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When someone downloads a GOLDFISH eBook, we give one brick toward building school facilities in Cambodia