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In Property Industry eye yesterday - the power of unexpected moments of surprise and delight.

How they can win you more loyal customers, improve your reputation, and lessons we can learn from other industries

Training Activity: “Map the Moments: Designing Surprise & Delight in Your Customer Journey”

Objective: Help your team generate your own creative, personalised “surprise and delight” ideas by mapping the client journey and identifying key emotional touchpoints.

🛠️ Materials Needed:

• Large paper or whiteboard for customer journey mapping

• Post-it notes or sticky labels

• Sharpies/pens

• Optional: real client feedback/testimonials to reference

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Step-by-Step:

✅ 1. Map the Customer Journey

Split into small teams (or work individually in small branches) and plot out the typical customer journey for a seller, landlord, buyer, or tenant—choose one persona to focus on.

Key stages to map might include:

• Initial enquiry

• Market appraisal

• Instruction

• Marketing launch

• Viewings

• Offer/agreement

• Exchange/tenancy signing

• Move-in day

• Post-move follow-up

  
  

Ask:

“What is the client thinking, feeling, and doing at each stage?”

Stick these up along a timeline.

🎯 2. Identify Emotional Highs & Lows (10 minutes)

Now go through and identify:

• High-stress or anxious moments (🟥 red sticky notes)

• Positive milestones or wins (🟩 green sticky notes)

• Long “quiet” gaps in communication (🟦 blue sticky notes)

These are your prime moments for surprise and delight.

💡 3. Generate Creative Ideas (20–30 minutes)

Use a rapid idea generation game to spark creativity:

Activity: "3x3 Brainstorm"Each group writes three ideas for how to inject a moment of joy, reassurance, or human touch at three different customer journey points.

Rules:

• Budget must be small or free

• Must be personal, unexpected, or fun

• Encourage playfulness (silly ideas welcome at first—refine later)

Examples might include:

• A WhatsApp video message sent post-instruction, thanking them personally and sharing excitement.

• Sending a "move-in playlist" or “tea & biscuit survival kit” on key handover day.

• A postcard a month later with a handwritten note.

📦 4. Share & Build (10–15 minutes)

Each group presents one or two of their best ideas. Encourage others to build on them or adapt them for other stages of the journey.

Compile the best ideas into a team-wide “Surprise & Delight Playbook” and display them in the office.

🚀 Optional Follow-Up:

• Challenge each team member to trial one idea over the next week and report back.

• Set up a “Customer Delight Leaderboard” where agents share wins and feedback from clients.