CX Game · Behavioral

Anchoring Effect Experiment

The Anchoring Effect Experiment is a hands-on workshop where teams explore the anchoring effect and its impact on decision-making and pricing strategies. By setting a baseline (anchor) and observing how it influences subsequent decisions, participants gain insights into how anchoring can affect customer perceptions and behavior.

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Participants

4-12

Facilitators

Seniority

Medium

Level

Medium

Learning Objective

Teams learn how the first number a customer sees — the anchor — silently reshapes every judgement that follows, and how to set anchors that feel fair rather than manipulative.

How to Play

Setup

Split into pairs of teams: each pair runs the same pricing scenario but receives a different opening anchor.
Hand each team a product brief (price range, features, competitor context) and a decision sheet.
Appoint a facilitator to read scenarios aloud and record each team's final price and willingness-to-pay.

Rules of play

Round 1: each team commits to a price after seeing only their assigned anchor.
Round 2: anchors are swapped and teams re-price the identical product.
Compare results across the room — the gap between high-anchor and low-anchor teams is the lesson.
Bonus round: teams design an anchor they would be comfortable defending to a customer.

Debrief

How far did the anchor move your final number, even when you 'knew' the real value?
Where does anchoring help the customer (clarity, reference points) versus exploit them?
Which anchors in your own pricing pages or proposals are accidental rather than intentional?

CX Principle Reinforced

Anchoring is the cognitive tendency to lean too heavily on the first piece of information offered. In CX, the opening price, the 'was' price, the recommended tier and the first option in a list all act as anchors.

Used well, anchors give customers a fair reference point and reduce decision anxiety. Used carelessly, they erode trust the moment the customer notices the manipulation. This game trains teams to anchor with intent and integrity.

Format

Participants: 4-12
Facilitators: 1
Seniority: Medium
Level: Medium

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