Shaping peaks and endings

Customer loyalty forms through memories of experiences. But how does this memory take shape? An experience comprises many moments—positive and negative, intense and incidental. Intuitively, the overall evaluation should reflect the average of all moments. The question is: Do people actually weight all moments equally, or do certain moments disproportionately shape the memory—and what evidence exists for this?

Studies

The Cold Water Experiment

Daniel Kahneman and his colleagues Barbara Fredrickson, Charles Schreiber, and Donald Redelmeier conducted an experiment in 1993 that fundamentally challenges our intuitions about pain. Thirty-two subjects immersed their hand in ice-cold water twice: the first time for 60 seconds at 14°C—unpleasantly cold. The second time for 90 seconds, with the temperature imperceptibly rising to 15°C during the final 30 seconds. Then came the crucial question: "Which trial would you repeat?" Sixty-nine percent chose the longer variant—even though it objectively meant 50% more pain. Why? The slightly less unpleasant ending overwrote the memory of the additional 30 seconds of suffering. Memory doesn't sum experiences—it remembers the peak and the end.

The Colonoscopy Study

Donald Redelmeier and Daniel Kahneman wanted to know whether the peak-end effect also applies to real medical pain. In a 1996 study, they had 682 patients rate their current pain on a scale of 0 to 10 every minute during their colonoscopy. One hour later, patients were asked to assess the overall burden. The result surprised even the researchers: the rating correlated almost exclusively with the peak pain and the final three minutes. Total duration played virtually no role. A patient who endured a 24-minute procedure with a mild ending remembered less pain than one who experienced only 8 minutes but ended with a painful conclusion. Consider this: the objective amount of pain was three times higher—yet memory doesn't store sums.

The Colonoscopy Intervention

Can we use the peak-end effect to improve medical experiences? In 2003, Redelmeier, Katz, and Kahneman tested a counterintuitive intervention with 154 patients: physicians left the endoscope motionless in the colon for three additional minutes after the actual examination—uncomfortable, but significantly less painful than the active procedure. The result: patients in this group later rated the procedure as significantly less distressing and were more likely to attend follow-up examinations (10% higher attendance). The paradox: intentionally prolonging the procedure made it more tolerable. The gentler ending overwrote the memory of the more unpleasant middle section. For medicine, the implication is clear: how a treatment ends determines whether patients return.

Principle

Which principle for Customer Experience Design can be derived from this? The memory of an experience is dominated by its most intense moment (the peak) and its conclusion (the end), which is why these two touchpoints disproportionately shape the overall evaluation of a customer journey. Companies should therefore strategically concentrate resources on designing outstanding peak moments and positive endings rather than optimizing all touchpoints equally. This principle proves particularly effective for longer interactions and emotional product categories, though the effect may be less pronounced for very short or purely functional encounters. Crucially, both peak and end must be designed authentically and aligned with the brand, as artificially manufactured peaks can erode trust. The following guidelines demonstrate how to implement this principle in practice.

Guidelines

Consciously create a highlight

Rather than optimizing every touchpoint equally, focus on creating one exceptional moment—ideally at first contact. This intensely positive peak experience becomes easily memorable and overshadows all other interactions. A handful of unforgettable highlights deliver more value than numerous mediocre touchpoints. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Disney World: Mickey Mouse stands at the exit and personally bids farewell to the children. The final moment becomes a magical highlight – and shapes the entire memory of the visit.
• Ritz-Carlton: Employees are empowered to spend up to $2,000 per guest to create 'wow moments.' A single outstanding moment outshines average experiences.

Surprise after purchase

The conclusion of every customer interaction shapes memory most powerfully—so place all positive elements, such as surprises, gifts, or personal touches, at the end. Position negative aspects like payments or forms early in the process to ensure customers leave with a positive impression. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Glossier: Every order includes stickers and sometimes small samples. Customers share their 'unboxing' experiences on social media – free advertising through reciprocity.
• Thomann (Musikhaus): Every order includes a small gift – candy, picks, stickers. The Thomann bag is legendary and creates loyal repeat customers.