Knowledge services: helping participants frame and reflect

In the area of service design the Compelling Experiences Framework (defined by Vijay Kumar and based on the attraction-engagement-extension steps of the service lifecycle) is well known for its ability to help experience designers take into consideration the end-to-end touch points a consumer will have with the designed service.

Such process helps not only understand the flow people go through when interacting with artifacts, peoples, signs, etc. provided by your organization but also helps you understand how do you have to organize yourself from the operations point of view in order to make sure everything and everyone is in place to choreograph such service.

Service-oriented companies have mastered this approach and process-obsessed professionals (equally obsessed about six-sigma, efficiencies, and other clockwork techniques) have turned the delivery of services at scale into an art (as an examples research anything Disney or Ritz-Carlton  has done in this space).

This works all fine with companies that work in the traditional service industries (such as tourism, entertainment, or hospitality) where the focus is mainly on the core service provided and not so much on the bookends (reservations, planning at the beginning and souvenirs and memories at the other end).

But what about the "knowledge-services companies"? Their offering is based on a service that is even more intangible than traditional services and the touch points are less physical and more abstract and knowledge-based.

For example, think about a music show from a band that has a deep and rich album catalogue and has not played live for 10 years. Think about a lecture from a thought-leader on a very complex topic. Think a about a 15 course meal with pairings at a great restaurant which has been praised for its ability to go beyond the boundaries of gastronomy. Think about a visit to a historical museum specialized in movable type press in which you could spend hours on each object they have on display. Think about architects-only visit to a building designed by a starchitect. Think about a multi-month consulting engagement about a very complex topic. I am sure you get the point. All these are very knowledge-intensive services that, even though they happen to manifest themselves in real life, people are attracted to them because its high content of knowledge and learning. In summary: there is a lower use of epidermis and a higher use of neurons in these acts.

Problem with such intense experiences is that they are very profuse and generous in details. The consequence of such abundance is that participants are usually overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to digest in such short period of time.

In the face of increased competition for the attention of consumers, it seems inevitable that a new way to approach the design and delivery of this knowledge services is needed. It is not enough for organizations to think about the situation and the activity-centric context of the consumers before and after the experiences. Organizations have to go beyond the operational and functional aspects of the experience and need to leap their empathy into the consumer's intellectual state of mind. "what are they expecting to learn? what ideas are they most excited about? which songs will move them the most? what type of learning style they prefer? how can they drill deep into some of the ideas presented once the experience is over? These and many more questions have to be thought through in advance to provide an excellent knowledge service experience.

On the front end of the experience the ultimate goal is to help participants frame intellectually the experience. This requires providing intellectual context of the event, introduction to special jargon and idioms that will be used, background of service actors involved, etc. This will help customers prepare to make the most of the experience and spend less time figuring out basic things and paying more attention at the nuisances of the experience that make it different and unique. By doing this, the resolution and detail is highly appreciated resulting in a better understanding and enjoyment of the knowledge presented.

Menu at Sant Pau restaurant

On the final end and once the service has concluded, your goal is to help participants reflect on the high aspects of the experience  so the knowledge acquired leaves a mark and help them find more additional knowledge to extend the intellectual experience. People's intent when attending such knowledge experiences is to learn about something in a 'live' and choreographed way with the help of experts, performers, and artifacts created specifically for that singular learning experience. Whatever you provide after the performance is over has to help this goal: sell a music cd with the recorded concert your audience has just listened to, gift them an illustration of the menu they have just eaten (like Carme Ruscalleda does at her restaurant Sant Pau), etc.

As you have already seen there are some examples here and there about organizations that are already seeing the need for such intellectual chaperonage and are doing something about it, but overall it is safe to say these practices are not being applied systematically and with the rigor required. With the increasing cost of live experiences and the willingness of the market to pay for unique and scarce events  hopefully we will see more and more companies taking a more end-to-end approach to knowledge services and making sure their audiences make the most of it.