Yesterday night I went to see Iron Maiden in their “Maiden England” tour.

The concert was at O2 Arena in Berlin.

I’m an O2 client here in Germany, and honestly I never had the chance to test their customer support or other services.

I had standard tickets and I was pleasently surprised by the care O2 have for their customers when they are going to see a concert in their arena.

O2 customers have a separate entrance, all blue, and people smiling are welcoming you.

Always good to see smiling people.

Once you entered, a guy asked Giulia and me if we wanted to have an official photo of us going to the concert. The guy spoke in English (we don’t speak any German), and we decided to take the photo. The photographer then gave us the address where to go and download the photo and then, smiling, he said ” you guys have a great concert and have fun”.

Inside the O2 arena, waiting for the concert, there was the chance to win a free drink and a free seat in the suite, always for the O2 customers.

Now, little and pleasant things made an O2 customer like me happier. Why? Because they were unexpected. I didn’t pay for them, I didn’t know they were in place, I didn’t ask for them.

The unexpected is an amazing value that more companies should use to make their customers happier.

There is the misconception that marketers have to create the most complicated thing ever to gain users happiness, but small things will do in the same way.

Do not spend hours in meeting to understand how to push the boundaries. You don’t have always the time to make the best thing ever, and it’s better to have more shots to use that are smaller to maximize the chance, rather than a big one that could fail.

People smiling, a free drink, a photo at an event. Few people involved, but the connection was there.

And for the first time, I realized I have the O2 as phone carrier.

Connect with your customers. Small things with the right attitude is always a win.