Avoiding Coffee Stains: How to Welcome New Customers

Imagine you’re flying on an airline for the first time… check-in and boarding are a breeze, there’s ample space in the overhead bin, the crew is warm and friendly. Then you put down the tray table…and there’s a massive coffee stain. Your impression of the airline likely just took a hit.

The Coffee Stain Theory has long been used to illustrate why little things matter to the customer experience. Originated by Tom Peters in In Search of Excellence—after an airline executive told him passengers will judge the quality and maintenance of jet engines by whether or not they see coffee stains on the meal tray—the concept demonstrates how you can do everything right, but one overlooked detail can make a customer question your whole brand.

This is especially true of new customers who aren’t yet invested in your business. From the very start, you have to demonstrate that working with your laboratory will be...