Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

by Robert B. Cialdini

The principles—reciprocation, liking, social proof, authority, scarcity,

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor, we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.

It wasn’t guests with an errorless stay who reported the highest satisfaction ratings and future loyalty. Rather, it was those who experienced a service stumble that was immediately put right by the hotel staff.