Let's think about kindness for a second.
There are two kinds: the expected and the unexpected. People expect you to hold the door for them when you are entering or leaving Starbucks and they're a few steps behind you. But they don't expect you to pay for their coffee.
The interesting thing is that if you don't hold the door open, maybe let it slam in their face on your way out, they think of you as rude. You are failing to meet their expectation of being a nice person.
But what if you paid for their coffee without them asking or knowing in advance? They go to the cashier and order, and the cashier informs them that their coffee has already been paid for. They did not expect that random act of kindness, so they are amazed. For most people, in fact, it is probably the high-point of their day.
Meeting expectations is a must if you want to stay in business. That is what you do if you want to hang on to the status quo. Surpassing expectations, on the other hand, is a must if you want to go beyond that and become remarkable.
After all, you wouldn't tell your friends about that guy who held the door open for you. But if he paid for your coffee, he might go so far as to become a small legend among your group.
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