The Intuitive Customer - Helping You Improve Your Customer Experience To Gain Growth

In a lively discussion, Professor Ryan Hamilton, a marketing expert from Emory University and co-author of 'The Growth Dilemma', unpacks the tricky balance of brand growth in a diverse market. He highlights how customer segments are interconnected and influence each other's choices, often leading to backlash when brand strategies misfire, as seen with Bud Light and Crocs. Expect insights on navigating customer dynamics and why misjudging your audience can spell disaster for brand identity and loyalty.

Ever thanked a chatbot? You're not alone, and maybe it's stranger than you think! Discover why 50% of customers lose trust when AI is involved, despite its growing presence. Dive into the psychology of customer-AI interactions, revealing that a single bad AI experience can tarnish future trust. Explore how people relate to AI as if it were a friend, even experiencing mixed emotions about adopting new technologies. This engaging discussion merges academic insights with real-world examples to reveal the intricate dance between trust and AI.

How happy are you when you buy auto insurance? If your answer is anything other than thrilled, you're not alone. In fact, years ago, a UK insurance company tried to convince us otherwise with their tagline "Quote Me Happy." Spoiler alert: Nobody was happy. This raises a fascinating question: What role does advertising play in the customer experience, and why is there such a massive disconnect between the ads we see and what we actually get? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the Great Expectation Gap—and they've brought in a special guest: Ben Shaw, Chief Strategy Officer at MullenLowe (and, fun fact, Colin's son). It turns out that years of heated Sunday lunch debates on advertising vs. CX have led to this moment! 🍽️ Together, they explore why marketing often sets unrealistic expectations, how brands can align advertising with reality, and why great advertising can only work if the customer experience delivers on the promise. 💡 Tune in to discover: ✅ Why customers feel frustrated when reality doesn't match advertising promises ✅ The power of the word "BUT" in advertising and how it reveals hidden customer tensions ✅ The real reason marketing and CX teams aren't on the same page—and how to fix it ✅ How Apple mastered the art of aligning advertising and customer experience ✅ Why spending more on advertising won't solve a broken CX (no matter how creative the campaign is) Best Quote from the Episode: The Brand makes the promise in the Market, the Customer Experience should deliver against that promise. — Colin Shaw Resources Mentioned Ben Shaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benshawuk/ 'Brand Ben' on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benshaw37?_t=ZN-8ujJORxL3SQ&_r=1 Mullen Lowe: https://www.mullenlowe.co.uk/ About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify #CustomerExperience #Marketing #Advertising #Branding #CX

Episode Summary: Everyone's talking about AI like it's some kind of CX fairy godmother—"Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! Your NPS just went up 50 points!" Spoiler alert: it doesn't work like that. In this episode, Colin and Ryan are joined by Frederic Durand, CEO of Diabolocom, and Collin D. Ehret, Senior Enterprise Sales Director (yes, another Collin… brace yourself), for a no-fluff, practical, and slightly irreverent discussion about what it really takes to implement AI in your customer experience. Diabolocom Website: https://www.diabolocom.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diabolocom/ Frederic Durand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fpdurand/ Collin D. Ehret LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinehret/ This is a must-listen if you're wondering: Why most AI deployments stall before takeoff How to avoid drowning in customer data Why your silos are killing your CX And how AI can actually make your human interactions better You'll hear real-world examples, hard-earned insights, and maybe even a laugh or two (two Colins on one podcast—what could go wrong?). 🔥 Best Quote from the Episode: "AI isn't a magic wand. If your process is a mess, AI will just make it a faster, more expensive mess." — Frederic Durand, Diabolocom 🎯 Key Takeaways: Start small, think big: The best AI implementations begin with narrow, clearly defined use cases—not a 3-year transformation plan with 47 KPIs. Data is your foundation: If your data isn't clean, your AI won't be either. Garbage in = garbage out, just faster and more confidently wrong. Break the silos: AI can't fix your customer experience if Marketing, IT, and Customer Service are all playing in separate sandboxes. Empathy still wins: When AI takes care of the boring stuff, your humans can focus on being... well, human. And that's what customers remember. Vendors should act like partners: Don't buy tools. Build relationships with people who've seen the battlefield—and won. About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

Eight years, 750,000 downloads, and 400 episodes later, The Intuitive Customer is celebrating this major milestone! In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reflect on what has changed in customer experience over the years and share their biggest learnings. 📊 The Reality of Podcasting: Podcasting is booming, with 546 million listeners worldwide. 47% of the U.S. population (12+) listens to a podcast at least once a month. Podcast ad spending is projected to hit $4.02 billion in 2024. But here's the kicker: 50% of podcasts die after three episodes. Only 20% make it past 10 episodes. Most don't last three years. 💡 We are in the top 2% of all podcasts globally—thanks to you, our listeners! Key Takeaways "Customer experience isn't just about the experience—it's about the memory of the experience. People don't remember every detail; they remember the peak and the end. If you're not designing for memory, you're missing a massive opportunity." 🏆 The Big Customer Experience Lessons from 400 Episodes: 🔹 1. CX is Still a Work in Progress (And That's a Problem) 🔹 2. Memory Matters More Than You Think 🔹 3. Behavioral Science is the Secret Sauce (That Many Ignore) Resources Mentioned MasterClass Series: https://beyondphilosophy.com/why-customers-make-instant-decisions-and-how-to-effect-it/ Memory Mini-Series: https://beyondphilosophy.com/our-behavior-is-motivated-by-what-we-recall-so-how-are-memories-formed-memory-mini-series-1-3/ About the Hosts: Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify

First impressions are powerful, with customers forming opinions in mere seconds. The psychology behind snap judgments reveals how biases influence quick perceptions, impacting everything from job interviews to dating apps. Visual cues play a crucial role, often dictating customer trust before any words are spoken. The interplay between subconscious influences and rational thought shapes decision-making processes. Finally, managing these initial impressions effectively can significantly enhance customer engagement and brand trust.

Trust is the backbone of every thriving customer relationship. Learn ten proven strategies to earn and maintain customer trust, including the critical role of honesty, especially in tough situations. Discover the pitfalls of sneaky fees and the importance of transparency and consistency in building loyalty. Delve into the psychology behind why people may lie to seem nice and how overcommunication can be your secret weapon. This engaging discussion reveals how one moment of dishonesty can undo years of trust.

In a world oversaturated with information, short-form content may be hindering true learning. The discussion tackles the pitfalls of quick fixes and highlights the importance of deep understanding in customer experience. Delve into the Peak-End Rule, where emotional moments shape lasting memories for customers. The hosts also challenge the reliance on metrics like NPS, cautioning that they lack depth. Finally, they debate the implications of AI on critical thinking, emphasizing the need for curiosity over shortcuts in the age of automation.

Discover how tiny changes can dramatically influence choices, from popcorn sizes to online deals. Explore the intriguing world of nudges and their ability to guide decisions without force. Learn why some nudges succeed while others flop, particularly when faced with strong preferences. Unpack the significance of choice architecture and how elements like the decoy effect sway people's decisions. Plus, the importance of testing strategies before deploying them at scale is emphasized. Behavioral science reveals the hidden magic of customer influence!

Discounting may seem like a surefire strategy to lure in customers, but it can backfire. The addictive nature of discounts creates expectations that harm brand integrity and profitability. Discover the psychology behind pricing, including how reference points influence perceptions of value. Explore the thrill of the hunt in shopping and the persuasive power of larger discount numbers. Learn the risks of relying on discounts as a sales strategy and why enhancing customer value is crucial for long-term success.