Working Against Habituation

Customer retention depends on satisfaction. However, new features, bonuses, and upgrades lose their appeal over time—the initial excitement inevitably fades. What thrilled customers yesterday becomes today's baseline expectation. The critical questions are: How quickly do people adapt to improvements? Can this adaptation be slowed? And what does the evidence tell us?

Studies

# Lottery Winners and Accident Victims

Philip Brickman and his colleagues conducted one of the most famous happiness studies in 1978. They surveyed 22 lottery winners (with prizes ranging from $50,000 to $1 million), 29 people with paraplegia following accidents, and 22 control subjects about their current happiness levels. The results were astonishing: lottery winners rated their happiness at only 4.0 out of 5 points—barely higher than the control group's 3.8. Even more surprising, the lottery winners enjoyed everyday pleasures like watching television or eating breakfast less than they had before their win. Remarkably, even the paraplegics scored 2.96—closer to average than expected. The study demonstrated that extreme positive or negative life events ultimately lead to a return to one's personal happiness baseline.

Why Variety Prolongs Enjoyment

Shane Frederick and George Loewenstein analyzed dozens of adaptation studies in 1999 and discovered a fascinating pattern. In a typical experiment, subjects ate chocolate daily—one group always received the same variety, while the other received rotating varieties. The result: People adapt significantly more slowly to varying stimuli than to constant ones. The group eating the same chocolate lost interest after 5 days, whereas with rotating varieties, the pleasure lasted three times longer. The reason: Our brain categorizes repetition as "familiar" and reduces the emotional response. For lasting well-being, variety is more important than intensity.

The Hedonic Treadmill

In 2006, Ed Diener and his team analyzed longitudinal studies involving over 3,000 people across 17 years—one of the most comprehensive happiness research studies ever conducted. They tracked participants through salary increases, promotions, relocations, and other major life events. The sobering result: after positive changes, happiness levels returned to baseline within 3-6 months. The only exception was social relationships and meaningful activities, which showed virtually no adaptation—their positive effects remained stable over years. Despite this evidence, people caught on the 'hedonic treadmill' continue chasing material improvements that deliver only brief satisfaction, rather than investing in relationships that create lasting happiness.

Principle

Which principle for Customer Experience Design can be derived from this? People adapt to almost everything—even to the most positive experiences and benefits a company can offer. This hedonic adaptation causes constant rewards and consistent service quality to quickly become taken-for-granted expectations that lose their motivating power. This becomes particularly problematic with standardized loyalty programs or repetitive discounts, which are soon no longer perceived as appreciation but as minimum standards. Successful customer experience therefore relies on deliberate variation, surprising moments, and unpredictable positive experiences that break through the psychological immune system of habituation. The following guidelines show how to implement this principle in practice.

Guidelines

Content Surprises

Variability and unpredictability sustain interest—rather than offering the same thing daily, create surprising content, spontaneous gifts, or unexpected extras. This uncertainty makes each reward more valuable and generates genuine excitement. "Discover something new" should become an everyday experience. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Spotify Discover Weekly: Every Monday: 'What has Spotify discovered for me this week?' The uncertainty about the content creates anticipation and regular return visits.
• Netflix 'Für dich': Recommendations that change. 'What is Netflix showing me today?' The variability prevents the offering from becoming boring.

Create contrast with the competition

Adaptation is stopped when customers realize what they can't get elsewhere. Comparison tables, competitive analyses, and 'exclusive to us' features keep perceived value high. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Costco: Regular 'Treasure Hunt' special offers: Products available only briefly that won't return. The customer can't get used to them – and keeps coming back.
• Netflix: The content catalog constantly changes. 'Only X days left' creates urgency and prevents access from being taken for granted.

Social Variability

Feeds, likes, comments – social input is inherently variable and creates tension. When will the next like come? Who commented? The uncertainty keeps users refreshing. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Twitter/X: Pull-to-Refresh: Maybe there are new tweets, maybe not. The variable reward keeps the user refreshing – even without notifications.
• Instagram: Likes don't come at fixed times. Checking 'Has someone liked my post?' is a variable reward loop that motivates regular opening.

Show unexpected appreciation

Contact customers regularly without any sales agenda—offer unpredictable surprises rather than standardized benefits. Variable rewards such as random upgrades, anniversary gifts, or spontaneous gestures of appreciation create emotional peaks that stick in memory. Maintain valuable, non-transactional touchpoints at least quarterly that communicate "I'm thinking of you." The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Chewy: Handwritten cards to customers whose pet has died, expressing condolences and sometimes including a painting of the animal. This unexpected empathy creates deep loyalty.
• Zappos: Occasional upgrades to express shipping without prior notice. The customer expects standard – and receives more. The surprise activates reciprocity.