Customers Don’t Want Better Tools. They Want Less Work
DCX Links | January 11, 2026
Welcome to the DCX weekly roundup of customer experience insights!
A lot of CX conversation right now focuses on what’s new. But this week’s links are really about what’s changing in a quieter way.
Experience is starting to move closer to customers’ real lives. Less clicking. Less navigating. More moments where the system understands what someone is trying to do and helps without being asked. You see it in ambient devices, natural language interfaces, and even in how cars are being designed.
At the same time, customers are still tripping over the basics. Slow refunds. No replies. Confusing processes. The gap between what’s possible and what’s delivered is obvious—and customers feel it. That tension shows up across every story below.
This week’s must-read links:
When CX Stops Waiting for the Customer
CX Without Menus: Why Natural Language Is Winning
Inside the Car Is the New Experience War
Nobody’s Trying. And Customers Can Feel It
DCX Stat of the Week: Nearly half of shoppers prefer the dentist to a slow refund
DCX Case Study of the Week: Turning Forced Customers Into Loyal Ones
When CX Stops Waiting for the Customer
Pickle 1 isn’t just another wearable pitch. It points toward a future where customer experience stops being something users initiate—and starts showing up around them. Persistent context, real-time awareness, and proactive help could reset how customers expect brands to engage.
Why it matters:
Always-on context shifts CX from reactive to anticipatory. Instead of waiting for clicks or calls, systems can respond to what customers are doing, seeing, and struggling with in the moment.
A persistent memory layer enables continuity across channels without customers repeating themselves—one of today’s biggest CX pain points.
Experiences move closer to real life, not just the company’s app or website.
What’s happening:
Pickle positions Pickle 1 as a “memory-first” device that continuously captures context and surfaces real-time suggestions.
If it works as described, brands could design CX moments that respond to location, intent, and history without explicit prompts.
Self-service, support, and guidance become something that appears when needed—not when requested.
Reality check:
Ambient CX raises real trust, consent, and privacy questions. Customers will trade data only if value is obvious and control is real.
Poorly tuned interventions could feel intrusive fast. Contextual doesn’t automatically mean helpful.
The gap between promise and execution will decide whether this is a breakthrough or background noise.
The CX To-Do:
Start designing for contextual moments, not channels. Map where proactive help would genuinely reduce effort—then decide what data you’d need to earn the right to deliver it.
🔗 Go Deeper: Pickle
CX Without Menus: Why Natural Language Is Winning
Google’s new Gemini features for Google TV are a quiet CX upgrade with loud implications. Less poking around menus. More saying what you want—and getting back to watching.
Why it matters:
Customers don’t want to manage systems. They want outcomes. Saying “the dialogue is hard to hear” beats digging through audio settings every time.
Once people experience this ease at home, they’ll expect the same clarity from every brand they deal with.
This is low-effort CX in practice. The tech adapts. The customer stays in the moment.
What’s happening:
Gemini is woven directly into Google TV—search, settings, photos, and discovery move to natural language.
“Deep Dives” turn complex topics into easy-to-follow visual stories built for shared viewing.
Photos and creative tools bring personal content into the living room, adding emotional connection—not just utility.
Reality check:
When AI becomes the front door, misreads feel frustrating fast. Trust depends on getting intent right.
Over-helping can break the experience as easily as under-helping.
Early rollout on select TCL devices means CX consistency will lag at first.
The CX To-Do:
Find where customers translate intent into system steps. Those translation moments are your biggest friction opportunities.
🔗 Go Deeper: Google
Inside the Car Is the New Experience War
CES made one thing clear: cars are no longer judged just as machines. They’re judged like phones, apps, and services—by how they feel to use.
Why it matters:
Drivers expect interiors to feel intuitive, not like a maze of buttons and buried menus.
Friction shows up fast when people are driving, multitasking, or stuck in traffic.
As cars become a true “third space,” experience quality matters as much as performance.
What’s happening:
Leaders from Qualcomm, Amazon, and Ford all say the same thing: cars are becoming software-first.
OTA updates, voice assistants, and digital cockpits aim to make vehicles feel like living products.
AI assistants promise fewer menu dives and more natural help—right when drivers need it.
Reality check:
Automotive CX is complex. Multiple systems, vendors, and safety layers slow progress.
Trust, latency, and data handling are core experience issues—not edge cases.
Without real integration, features risk feeling bolted on instead of seamless.
The CX To-Do:
Design in-car experiences the way customers actually live: fast, hands-free, and respectful of attention.
🔗 Go Deeper: 360 Magazine
Nobody’s Trying. And Customers Can Feel It
Everyone says it’s hard to stand out right now. Then you look at how customers are actually treated—and realize the bar is shockingly low.
Why it matters:
Customers aren’t asking for magic. They want replies, clarity, and follow-through.
When basics fail, frustration builds fast—and people quietly leave.
In a world of dropped balls, simply showing up feels exceptional.
What’s happening:
A once-great local hotel slowly drives customers away through small misses: no greeting, wrong orders, rigid rules, no recovery.
Nothing catastrophic—just cumulative neglect.
The same pattern plays out everywhere: unanswered emails, vanished sales inquiries, painful “simple” purchases.
Reality check:
Most CX failures aren’t malicious. They’re inattentive.
Customers don’t need perfection. They want to feel noticed.
When they don’t, they assume the business doesn’t really want them.
The CX To-Do:
Look for moments where customers are waiting, wondering, or chasing you. That’s where loyalty quietly dies—or gets rebuilt.
🔗 Go Deeper: Justin Welch
DCX Stat of the Week
Nearly half of shoppers prefer the dentist to a slow refund
Takeaway: A week-long refund isn’t a “policy” anymore — it’s a loyalty killer. If your refunds still take days, you’re telling customers that getting their money back will be more painful than a dental visit, and they’ll shop (and talk) accordingly.
🔗 Source: TodayPay – Where Is My Refund? Understanding When, Where & How Consumers Want Their Money Back (2026 Edition)
🔗 MORE STATS: Daily Stats on Substack Notes
DCX Case Study of the Week
Turning Forced Customers Into Loyal Ones
CX Challenge:
Imagine inheriting thousands of customers who didn’t sign up for you—and aren’t happy about it. That’s what NRG faced when other energy providers exited deregulated markets. These “transitioned customers” were confused, skeptical, and far more likely to call support or churn fast.
Action Taken:
NRG decided to treat forced transitions like first impressions. They rolled out a Transitioned Customer Onboarding Initiative that focused on:
Listening closely to Voice of the Customer feedback
Making fees crystal clear
Fixing login and account access pain points
Smoothing out autopay setup
Aligning CX, digital, and ops teams around one goal
Result:
Fee complaints dropped 50%
Login/access issues fell 75%
Autopay complaints down 60%
Support contacts reduced 40%
Churn came in 12% lower than forecast
Lesson for CX Pros:
You don’t need customer choice to earn loyalty—you need clarity, empathy, and fast friction removal.
🔗 Further Reading: CXPA Proven CX Business Impact Case Study
Have a case study to share? Reply and let me know!
🔚 Final Thought
Taken together, these articles point to a simple shift: customers don’t want to run the experience anymore.
They don’t want to manage settings, chase answers, or translate their needs into system steps. They want things to work, help to show up at the right moment, and problems to get resolved without effort.
But none of that matters if the fundamentals aren’t there. You can’t automate your way out of slow refunds or ignored messages. The brands that stand out right now aren’t doing anything flashy. They’re paying attention, removing friction, and following through.
That’s still the work. And honestly, it always has been.
Thank you!
If this edition sparked ideas, share it with a colleague or team member. Let’s grow the DCX community together!
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