Make It Memorable

(Or: How Line Fish and a Bottle of Chardonnay Became My Benchmark for Customer Experience)

Let’s talk about the difference between good and great.

A good experience? You’ll appreciate it.
A great one? You’ll remember it.

You’ll talk about it. You’ll secretly gatekeep it for fear of ruining the magic. And, sometimes, you’ll write an entire Founders Diary entry about it.

This whole thought spiral started after a dinner out - shocker, I know.
My partner and I have this spot we frequent like clockwork. It’s called Damhuis, and it’s now officially "our place."

And look, I’m a foodie. Not in the pretentious “notes of oak and disappointment” way, but I do chase a good plate of food and a solid wine list with religious fervour. So for me to become a regular anywhere? Unusual. Rare. Practically a red flag for my personality type.

But Damhuis? Different story.

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A Quick, Semi-Sober History Lesson

Before I get sentimental, let’s get nerdy for a second.

The Damhuis building was constructed around 1785 using actual whale bones and cow dung (Cape Town, baby). It’s one of the oldest buildings in the city and originally served as a fish barn. These days, it’s a restaurant that delivers the kind of consistent excellence most startups only dream of.

That backstory alone is worth a visit, but that’s not what keeps me coming back. That’s just the lore.

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Consistency Is Sexy. Personalisation? Even More So.

Here’s what actually keeps me hooked:

• They know us. Like, know us.
  
• New waitress? Still greets me by name and takes us to “our usual spot.”
  
• Smoker-friendly seating with an actual view (not the usual sad corner next to the dumpster).
  
• The second we sit, they bring a bottle of Durbanville Hills Chardonnay for me, and a Stella for my partner…unprompted.
  
• They preemptively tell me what the line fish is, because they know I’ll probably order it.
  
• And yes, if it’s tuna? That’s an instant override. We don’t make the rules.
  
  

Even when I’ve ordered something outside my usual - it slaps. Every single time. Add to that the fact that their pricing is wildly reasonable for the quality, and it’s easy to see why I called to book this Thursday and felt genuine heartbreak when I learned they were closed for renovations.

Not being able to go to “my spot” was a legitimate bummer. Like… actual sadness. Over a restaurant. That’s when it hit me:

They didn’t just earn my money. They earned my loyalty.

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What Businesses Keep Getting Wrong

Most companies are chasing “good enough.”
They think if the service works and the product delivers, the job’s done.

But memorability lives in the margins.
It’s in the attention to detail.
It’s in the emotional residue left after the transaction ends.

And that doesn’t just apply to restaurants.

Take agencies.
The difference between a vendor and a partner is how much they care once the invoice is paid. The best ones don’t just deliver files - they deliver foresight. They integrate. They care.

That’s what I’m trying to build at Nexubis.
We don’t want clients, we want relationships.
We don’t want transactions, we want loyalty.
And that only comes when you make things personal.

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Little Things Aren’t Little

Think about Airbnbs.

You ever check in to one with a handwritten card, a bottle of bubbly, firewood stacked by the fireplace, and USB plugs everywhere like a tech fairy was just there? That host gets it.

You feel thought of.
And because of that, you’ll rave about it.
Refer it. Rebook it. Maybe even write about it like I’m doing right now.

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Final Thought: Don’t Just Be Better. Be Remembered.

The standard is not just quality anymore. It’s experience.
And the businesses that obsess over those small, human touches?
They’re the ones people come back to.

So the next time you're building a product, service, or client experience, ask yourself:

What’s the thing they’ll talk about?
What makes it yours - not just “good”?

Make it easy.
Make it personal.
Make it memorable.

And if you’re ever in Melkbosstrand?
Order the tuna.

You’re welcome.