Peak-End Rule: The CX Psychology Trick Every Pro Should Be Using
The peak-end rule is one of the most powerful — and often overlooked — concepts in Customer Experience. Originating from cognitive psychology, it shows that people don’t evaluate experiences by averaging every moment. Instead, they remember the most emotionally intense point (the “peak”) and the final moment (the “end”).
For CX professionals, understanding the peak-end rule in customer experience can reshape how you design journeys, resolve problems, and build loyalty. Whether you run a contact centre, lead a CX team, or design digital interactions — this insight is a game-changer.
What is the Peak-End Rule?
The peak-end rule is a psychological heuristic discovered by Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist. It suggests that people judge past experiences based on:
- The most emotionally intense moment (the "peak")
- The final moment (the "end")
It means a customer’s lasting impression isn’t the sum of all parts — it’s the memory of these two specific points. Apply the peak-end rule in CX design, and you’ll start shaping journeys based on what people actually remember.
The Research Behind It
In a 1993 study, Kahneman and Redelmeier found that people preferred a longer painful experience if it ended slightly better. Participants were asked to submerge their hands in freezing water. One version ended quickly. The other dragged on but concluded with warmer water.
Result? Most people chose the longer option — because it ended more pleasantly.
This finding has been replicated across medical procedures, customer service, and digital UX. The lesson for CX? Endings matter just as much — sometimes more — than beginnings.
Real CX Examples of the Peak-End Rule
- 📞 Contact Centre Calls: A customer waits 25 minutes on hold — but gets a warm, expert agent who resolves their issue in two minutes. The peak and end are positive — so is the memory.
- ✈️ Airports: Some terminals deliberately increase walking distance to baggage claim. People don’t notice the walk, but they love seeing their bags arrive quickly = a strong end.
- 🏰 Disney Parks: Staff are trained to create peak moments and ensure the last 30 minutes of the visit are memorable — because that’s what drives repeat visits.
- 💬 Live Chat: A slow start to a session can be rescued by a helpful agent who offers a discount, follows up, and leaves a thoughtful closing message.
CX Leader Takeaway
If you're a CX leader, stop spreading your budget across every touchpoint equally. Instead:
- Eliminate friction in high-pain areas
- Invest in high-impact emotional moments
- Make every ending intentional and positive
As discussed in ACXPA Roundtables, even seamless experiences fall flat if they end cold. The memory of the end is the memory.
10 Ways to Leverage the Peak-End Rule in CX
- 1. Create Emotional Peaks: Add delight, surprise, or connection at one point in the journey — not everywhere. A personal note, a callout of loyalty, or a meaningful thank-you can be all it takes.
- 2. End Strong: Always finish with clarity, warmth, and closure. Never end a call or email with cold automation. Design the goodbye as carefully as the welcome.
- 3. Frame Post-Interaction Surveys: Refer back to the rep or resolution. E.g., “Thanks again for chatting with Sarah — we’d love your feedback.” This reminds them of the positive end.
- 4. Audit Past Journeys: Review 10 recent interactions. Score them for emotional highs and quality of ending. Are they memorable? Are they consistent?
- 5. Build Memory into Metrics: Train your QA team to look for memorable moments, not just compliance. Add a “memorable peak” checkbox.
- 6. Use CX Tools with Peak-End Thinking: Download CX journey maps and templates that help identify peak and end moments, not just flows.
- 7. Train for Emotional Impact: Teach frontline teams how to recognise opportunities for peaks. Explore our live and self-paced training options to help embed it.
- 8. Encourage Memory-Based Feedback: Ask “What stood out today?” in follow-ups. It tells you what your peak was — and if you're getting the end right.
- 9. Design Recovery Paths: Bad experience? You can still win with a strong recovery. Make sure every complaint journey ends with a small win.
- 10. End Training and Onboarding with a Win: The final moment in learning journeys matters too. Use a fun quiz, interactive recap, or success badge to end on a positive note — boosting recall and satisfaction.
Final Thoughts: Use the Peak-End Rule to Design for Memory
The peak-end rule helps explain why some customers come back and others don’t — even when the experience looked fine on paper. Memory drives emotion. Emotion drives loyalty.
If you're in CX, don't just manage the journey — design the memory. And if you want tools, training, or community to support that mission, we've got you covered.
