DCX Links | November 24, 2024
This Week: The Balancing Act of Modern CX: Empathy, Simplicity, and Smarts
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Welcome to this week's roundup of customer experience insights!
This week, let’s talk about a challenge every CX pro faces: striking the right balance. How do you combine the human touch with tech? Creativity with practicality? Strategy with empathy?
From keeping products simple to giving AI some sass or embracing quiet leadership, the big takeaway is this: CX isn’t just about what you do—it’s about how you make people feel.
Dive into these stories to see how to avoid feature overload, outsmart scammers, design hybrid experiences, and lead with authenticity.
The key? Focus less on “doing more” and more on “doing better.” That’s the secret to transforming customer relationships.
Happy reading—and stay curious, DCXers!
-Mark
Here are this week’s must-read links:
Turning A Brilliant Idea Into a User's Nightmare
Meet Daisy, The AI Grandma Who Loves To Chat... With Scammers
What Happens When Automation Goes Too Far?
Hot Retail Takes Straight From The Experts
Being The Loudest In The Room Isn’t What Makes A Great Leader
Breaking Down BNPL: The Psychology Behind Buy Now, Pay Later
Turning A Brilliant Idea Into a User's Nightmare
The Feature Creep Trap
VoteBeast (name changed to protect the guilty) started as a simple voting app and ended up a bloated, clunky mess. Why? Everyone kept adding “just one more feature,” and boom—users were overwhelmed.
More Features ≠ More Love
Every meeting was a new idea pile-on, but no one stopped to ask, Do users actually want this? Turns out, they didn’t. Lesson: Less is more when it comes to features.
Forget Users, Lose the Game
They skipped the basics like user testing, and surprise—it backfired. A product no one can figure out? Yeah, that’s not winning hearts (or clicks).
How CX Pros Can Dodge This Mess
Focus on the Why: Stick to your product’s core purpose and don’t let shiny ideas pull you off track.
Test Early, Test Often: Real users will tell you what’s working—and what’s not—before it’s too late.
Simplify Everything: If your product feels like a puzzle, users will walk away.
Keep it simple, keep it useful, and always keep the user front and center. That’s how good ideas stay good.
Meet Daisy, The AI Grandma Who Loves To Chat... With Scammers
Scammers, Meet Your Match
O2’s Daisy is an AI-powered “granny” who wastes scammers’ time by chatting them up about knitting, grandkids, and anything else they’ll listen to. The result? 40 minutes of pure frustration for the bad guys.
The Genius Behind Daisy
She’s not just a random chatbot. Built with insights from YouTuber Jim Browning, Daisy sounds so real that scammers think they’ve hit the jackpot, only to find themselves going nowhere fast.
Why It’s Brilliant for CX Pros
Get Creative: Don’t fight problems the same way everyone else does. Think outside the box.
Educate and Entertain: Daisy’s antics aren’t just fun—they’re teaching customers to spot and report scams.
Build Trust: Customers feel safer when they see brands actively fighting fraud on their behalf.
This isn’t just tech for tech’s sake. Daisy shows how AI can be clever, proactive, and even a little sassy—just like good CX should be.
"Staying on top of the latest CX trends is tough, especially with how AI is transforming the field. Thankfully, the DCX newsletter does a brilliant job of curating the must-know info.” - Jimmy, CX Leader, Google
What Happens When Automation Goes Too Far?
Why Human Connection Still Wins
Dame Karen Jones knows a thing or two about hospitality and insists that nothing beats a real human connection. People remember how you made them feel, not how fast a chatbot answered their question.
Automation: The Good, The Bad, and the Overdone
Automation is great for efficiency—think simple tasks like rebooking or FAQs. But over-relying on it can kill the personal touch that makes your brand stand out. A bot can’t build trust, and it definitely won’t create an emotional bond.
Money vs. Meaningful Service
Rising costs are pushing companies to lean into automation, but there’s a trade-off. Saving on payroll might cost you loyal customers who feel like just another ticket in the system.
Takeaways for CX Pros
Use Tech Wisely: Automation should free up your team to do what they do best—connect with customers.
Empower Your People: Invest in training and culture so your team is ready to make those moments count.
Balance It Out: Customers want fast answers and empathy. Figure out how to give them both.
Automation isn’t the enemy, but it’s no substitute for the magic of human care. Get the balance right, and your CX will shine.
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Hot Retail Takes Straight From The Experts
The Vogue Business Future of Shopping Summit just went down in Los Angeles on November 16. Big names like Saks Global CEO Marc Metrick and Vogue's Lisa Aiken shared their takes on where shopping is headed.
Here’s what CX pros need to know.
Stick to the Plan
Metrick kept it real—don’t let economic ups and downs make you lose focus. A clear strategy is your best friend, whether you're designing a seamless customer journey or setting long-term goals.
Make It Personal
Personalization isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore—it’s a must. Customers expect experiences that feel like they’re tailored just for them. Metrick says investing in this pays off big time.
Profit Over Growth
Lisa Aiken reminded everyone that chasing growth at all costs isn’t the move. Profitability, driven by quality customer relationships, is where the magic happens.
Know Your People
Aiken also hammered home this point: if you don’t understand your audience, you can’t stand out. Use data, listen to feedback, and design experiences that actually matter to your customers.
Hybrid Is Happening
One thing was clear—blending online and in-store experiences is the future. CX pros should focus on making the transition between these two worlds as smooth as possible.
This summit was a goldmine of insights, especially if you’re thinking about what’s next for retail and CX. Take these lessons, run with them, and get ahead of the game.
Being The Loudest In The Room Isn’t What Makes A Great Leader
Loud Leaders Are Overrated
Susanna Wu-Pong Calvert, Ph.D., MAPP, RPh (a total pro in wellness and leadership), says we’re way too obsessed with big, bold personalities. Research backs her up—quieter leaders often get better results, especially with proactive teams. Why? They’re better at listening, reflecting, and letting others shine.
Lead Yourself First
Quiet leadership is about doing the inner work first. Know yourself, stay calm, and get clear on your goals. When you’re grounded, your team picks up on it and trusts you more.
The EQ Edge
Quiet leaders have emotional intelligence on lock. They know how to read the room, manage their own emotions, and connect with people in a real way. That’s how you create a team (and a CX strategy) that works.
Cool Under Pressure
The best quiet leaders stay steady even when things get messy. That calm energy reassures your team and your customers that you’ve got it under control.
What This Means for CX Pros
Look Inward: Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and triggers. When you lead authentically, people notice.
Listen Up: Emotional intelligence isn’t just nice—it’s the secret sauce for stronger relationships.
Be the Calm: You don’t need to be loud to inspire your team. Consistency and calm go a long way.
As Dr. Calvert points out, quiet leadership isn’t just a style—it’s a whole new way to show up as a leader. And for CX pros, it’s the kind of approach that builds trust and loyalty on every level.
Breaking Down BNPL: The Psychology Behind Buy Now, Pay Later
Kristen Berman has spent years studying human behavior and how successful products influence it. In Product Teardowns, she breaks down popular products to reveal the psychology behind their design and shares insights on how others can apply these principles for success.
What’s So Addictive About BNPL?
It’s all about giving people what they want right now without the pain of paying upfront.
The Magic of Instant Gratification
BNPL taps into our love for immediate rewards. It’s like saying, “Go ahead, treat yourself!” without making you feel the financial hit right away. Spoiler: this makes it way easier for people to click buy.
Why It’s Hard to Stop
Here’s the kicker: BNPL delays the sting of spending. Unlike swiping a credit card or handing over cash, it tricks our brains into thinking we’re not really spending (yet). That “pain of paying” gets pushed down the road, which can lead to overspending.
Overconfidence: The Sneaky Culprit
Kristen points out that people tend to overestimate their ability to handle future payments. Juggling multiple BNPL plans feels fine until all those little payments snowball into one big headache.
What CX Pros Can Learn from This
Be Upfront: Transparency matters. Make sure your BNPL terms are clear so customers know what they’re getting into.
Encourage Smart Spending: Give gentle nudges to help customers think before they commit. They’ll trust you more for it.
Look Out for Patterns: Keep an eye on spending habits to spot when customers might need a little extra support.
Kristen’s teardown of BNPL is a masterclass in understanding customer behavior. She’s all about cracking the psychology behind great design—and showing how to apply it to build trust, loyalty, and better experiences.
Thank you!
I hope you found this week’s links and commentary useful. If you have suggestions for future DCX Links editions, send me a note.
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"People remember how you made them feel, not how fast a chatbot answered their question".
This is a really interesting angle and it made me think of how it relates customer service KPIs and performance tracking metrics. A customer chat survey might include rating with a thumbs up or down, smiley face or unhappy face, or couple of specific questions if there issue is now resolved. CSAT and NPS metrics have some utility but are controversial in their own right.
Beyond this, there is a limited ability to measure emotional impact on customers and this might become even more relevant in the future, with the trend of more digital and AI and less human-to-human service interactions.
Really great post, thanks Mark.
As always, great stuff Mark. Loved the Psychology Today piece. Tx!