Marginally Better

Everyone says customers want transparency — open salaries, open supply chains, open decision-making. But when does sharing become oversharing? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. examines the transparency trap: how brands like Buffer and Everlane learned the hard way that revealing everything can erode trust, fuel criticism, and even cost millions. We also explore the surprising power of strategic mystery — and why the companies winning today aren’t hiding the truth, they’re choosing what not to say.Episode Links:Indeed - Why Business Transparency is ImportantWhat Consumers Really Want to Know About Your Business  Things Customers Want to See on Your Local Business Website Does Transparency Benefit or Harm Your Company?ThoughtLab - The Truth About TransparencyThe Pros & Cons of Organizational TransparencyMartha Lane Fox: Transparency is Overused and It's Not an OutcomeMcKinsey - Leading Off Newsletter July 2022Everlane: Radical Transparency in FashionThe Everlane EffectTransparency Mechanisms in Ethical Consumerism  Brutal Honesty in Sustainable Marketing  Buffer: Where Transparency ReignsBuffer's Transparent Approach to SalariesEmbracing Pay TransparencyWhy These Companies Share Employee SalariesWhat Supply Chain Transparency Really MeansBenefits and Challenges in Supply Chain TransparencyWhy Overcompensating Supply Chains BackfiresSupply Chain Transparency PressureWhy Full Transparency is ImpossibleTransparency in Public RelationsBalancing Transparency with Client Discretion5 Ways to Balance Discretion and TransparencyThe Power of Transparency in LeadershipData Privacy and Customer ExperienceMaintaining Transparency When You Can't Share Everything  Starting and Sustaining: Transparency 

By 2030, all 73 million U.S. Boomers will be 65+—and they control the majority of household wealth. So why do so many products, stores, and apps ignore them? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. breaks down the trillion-dollar gap between who has the money and who businesses design for—spotlighting winners like Best Buy and CVS, common “youngsplaining” mistakes, and simple UX fixes that boost conversions for everyone. If you’re serious about growth, the senior surge isn’t a niche—it’s your biggest opportunity. Episode Links:AARP - Census Data on Baby BoomersNational Council on Aging - Facts on Older Americans Generational Divide in B2B Decision Making Debunking Baby Boomer Myths Best Buy's Health StrategyFuture of Aging at Home SXSW Reinventing Care for a Generation CVS Health Social Care Network CVS Competitors in Senior Living CVS Healthy Aging Initiative Drugstore Closures Hit Seniors Hardest Impact of Font Pairing on UX Nielsen Norman Group - Glanceable Fonts Font and Interface Research Interface Design for Older Adults Interaction Design Foundation - Design for All Designing for Different Generations Cambridge University - Youngsplaining and Digital Ageism Preventing Ageism in Design ResearchGate - Ageism and Second-Level Digital Divide Digital Ageism Research Active Agers Driving Post-Pandemic Sales Generational Targeting Multi-Generational UX Interface Design Best Practices Ageism and Social Mobility Digital Accessibility Strategies 

Americans spend 37 billion hours a year waiting—about 118 hours per person—but smart brands are turning that dead time into delight. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. breaks down the psychology of waiting (why underpromising and overdelivering works, why occupied time feels shorter, and why fairness matters), and shows how Disney, Trader Joe’s, Apple launch lines, and a Melbourne bakery with a 45-minute croissant queue convert waits into community, anticipation, and loyalty. If you can’t always shorten the line, you can always make it worth it—here’s how. Episode Links:Harvard Business Review - When Providing Wait Times, It Pays to Underpromise and OverdeliverThe Psychology of Waiting Lines Customer Experience and Perceived Wait Time Study  Scientific Research Publishing - Queue Psychology and Social Behavior INFORMS Operations Research - Perspectives on Queues Exploring the Science of Waiting Waitwhile - Consumer Survey: Waiting in Line 2023 Waitwhile - Consumer Survey: Waiting in Line 2024 Faster Lines - The Science of Waiting Lines How Improper Queue Management Affects Financial Results Queue-it - Disney Queue Psychology Disney Patent Dynamic Management Virtual Queues ResearchGate - Disney's Virtual Queues: A Strategic Opportunity Top Disney World Queues That Are Fun to Wait In The Best Queues to Wait In at Walt Disney World Wharton Women - Trader Joe's Strategy 5 Lessons Trader Joe's Can Teach Lines, Queuing Theory, and Small Business Why Do Humans Queue? Why Long Lines Can Be Good for Business How Artificial Waiting Enhances User Anticipation Behind the Scenes Marketing Tricks Application of Queuing Theory to Fast Food Waiting Line Effect in Technology-Enabled Restaurant Ordering Queue-it - Psychology of Queuing Qminder - Queue Psychology: Reduce Time Make Waiting More Bearable CX Journey - The State of Waiting in Line Disneyland to the DMV: Why We Hate Waiting 

Ever ordered from three “different” restaurants and gotten the same fries, same sticker, same address? This episode of Marginally Better digs into the ghost-kitchen gold rush—and the trust crisis it sparked. Joe Taylor, Jr. unpacks how virtual brands multiplied behind a single line, why customers feel duped when the story doesn’t match the kitchen, and how even big chains are retreating from the experiment. Then we spotlight a better model—radically transparent, food-hall-style operators like Wonder—and share practical signals consumers (and operators) can use to rebuild authenticity. If convenience killed connection, here’s how to bring it back.  Episode Links:San Francisco Pizzeria Virtual Brands on DoorDash  Burger Shop Revealed as Ghost Kitchen for 17 Restaurants News.com.au - Oporto's Dark Kitchens Revealed Multiple Menus and Brands, One Restaurant Kitchen Marc Lore's Wonder is Reinventing the Meal  How Wonder Differentiates from Food Hall Concepts  The Insatiable Billionaire Building the Amazon of Food Delivery  How Wonder Became a Food Delivery Super App  A Billionaire-Backed Food Hall Launches in DC  Wonder Opens Inside Walmart  Will Marc Lore's Ghost Kitchen Concept Work Inside Walmart? Why Ghost Kitchens Failed to Sustain Their Hype  Everything You Need to Know About Cloud Kitchens  Ghost Kitchens and the Restaurant Industry  The Problem with the Ghost Kitchen Business Model  Why Do Some Nice Restaurants Use Different Names?  Avoiding Virtual Restaurants on DoorDash Master List  I've Launched 4 Ghost Kitchen IPs  How Ghost Kitchens Market Themselves Without Physical Locations 

What if telling customers not to buy is the smartest growth move you can make? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the Repair Renaissance—from Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ethos and Minnesota’s nation-leading right-to-repair law to the global rise of Repair Cafés saving millions of pounds from landfills. We unpack how durability becomes a moat (hello, Vitamix and Le Creuset), why the “IKEA effect” proves the right kind of friction builds loyalty, and how AI is reshaping the real jobs of designers and developers—from pixel pushers to problem framers. If you care about circular economy wins, customer retention, and products that outlive trends, this one’s for you. Episode Links:AI is Flipping UX Upside Down AI is Eating Frontend Development Design Tools Are Holding Us Back Patagonia's Worn Wear: What Fashion Brands Can LearnFor Profit and Plant: How Recycling Has Changed This RetailerMinnesota Attorney General - The Right to Repair in Minnesota New Law Gives Minnesotans More Power to Fix Their ElectronicsDigital Fair Repair Act is Important to FarmersThe 'Repair Café' Movement is Building a Fix-It CultureRepair Day 2024: A Birthday, a Wasted Opportunity and the Growth of RepairCircle Economy Foundation - Patagonia Boosts Its Incentive to Repair Why Vitamix? Durability75 Brands With the Best WarrantiesUX Lessons from the Very Intentional Design of IKEAHappy or Not - A Complete Guide on How Customer Feedback Enhances UX Wall Street Journal - CVS Wants to Help You Spend Less Time in CVS 

Do customers really value privacy—or will they trade it for a coupon code? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. unpacks the “privacy paradox” where 86% of people claim to care about data protection, but most will hand over personal details for even the smallest convenience. We’ll explore why privacy is becoming a luxury good, how small businesses are winning with trust-first strategies, and the economic realities behind “free” services. Plus, practical tactics for delivering user research that challenges leadership’s pet projects—without killing your career. It’s an eye-opening conversation about trust, transparency, and telling the truth in business. Episode Links:Design in a World of Change: Why UX is Not Enough Anymore Designing AI User Interfaces That Foster Trust and Transparency Your Customer Experience Isn't Broken – It's Just Unclear Your Online Privacy Is Not a Luxury, It's a Commodity Meta's Overpriced Ad-Free Subscriptions Make Privacy a Luxury Good Online Privacy Is a Right, Not a Luxury Why Privacy Is the Real Luxury in Our Modern Era Why Stakeholders Don't Vibe with User Research It's Incredible How Many Bad User Experiences Are Still Out There in 2025 How Design Leaders Win Over Organizations That Don't Trust UX 

In a world where Gen Z would rather lose a finger than make a phone call, how do businesses keep real human connections alive? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the rising “telephobia” reshaping customer service, why voice calls still convert better than any other channel, and how leading companies are bridging the gap between digital fatigue and high-touch connection. Plus: how micro-experiences are redefining personalization, why AI-powered interfaces may be too “natural” for some users, and what it really means to communicate in the age of intent-based design. If your customers won’t call—and your employees won’t pick up—this is the episode you need to hear. Episode Links:How Micro-Experiences Are Building Loyalty in an Over-Saturated MarketCustomer Experience Strategy Framework Leverage Customer-Centric Innovation to Improve Loyalty Gen Z Developing Fear of Phone Calls Call Declined: Why Gen Z Won't Pick Up the Phone Gen Z Phone Anxiety Importance of Customer Experience Socially Awkward Generation Won't Pick Up the Phone UX That Feels You: How to Design for Emotional Intelligence Will 2025 Be the Year for Immersive CX First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years Generative AI on Its Own Will Not Improve Customer Experience Welcome to the Era of "MEH"  Additional Research Sources:Customer Experience Examples: How Leading Brands WinThe Secret Behind Nike's Martech Stack U.S. Chamber of Commerce - How the Micro-Experience Trend Fuels Customer Engagement Harvard Business Review - Using Technology to Create a Better Customer Experience Phone Call Anxiety: Simple Ways to Overcome Telephobia Gen Z is Afraid of Talking on the Phone Millennials vs. Gen Z: How Their Customer Service Expectations Compare AI Chatbots in Healthcare Conversational AI Insights from Gartner and Forrester 3 Wishes for AI UX AI-Powered Success Stories 

What do your customers really want: personalization or privacy? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the “Privacy Paradox” reshaping modern business. We’ll unpack why 81% of consumers now believe data collection risks outweigh the benefits, and how innovative companies are building trust by collecting less, not more. Plus: how to design digital experiences that serve both humans and AI bots, and why the role of “designer” is being redefined in an era where AI can handle the basics. If you’re navigating the future of CX, this episode is a must-listen. Episode Links:2025 Privacy-First Strategies Shaping Customer Experience and Trust Tactics to Build Customer Trust With Personalized ExperiencesPrivacy-First Personalization: Navigating the Tightrope of Building Customer Trust  The Imperative of Customer Trust in 2024  Finding a Balance Between UX and SEO  The Irreplaceable Value of Human Decision-Making in the Age of AI Tips to Create a More Inclusive Digital Presence and Better UX  Human-centric AI Drives Customer Experience, Loyalty  Succeeding in AI Search  3 Ways to Optimize for AI Search Bots  Search Engines, LLMs, Third-Party Scrapers & Bot Management  The 10 Hottest Customer Experience (CX) Trends for 2024  From Googlebot to GPTBot: Who's Crawling Your Site in 2025  SEO and UX: 10 Best Practices to Boost Website Visibility  AI Optimization: How to Optimize Your Content for AI Search and Agents  Human-centric AI in 2025: Real-life Scenarios with Examples  AI Mode in Google Search: Updates from Google I/O 2025  Why Human Decision-Making Matters in the AI Age  Why You Should Rethink AI-Powered Customer Experience as Human Experience  The Consequences of AI Training on Human Decision-Making  Forrester Research 2024 Customer Experience Index How to Stop Thinking Like a Designer and Start Thinking Like a Strategist  Just a Designer Now: Shopify Dropped UX as a TitleShopify Killed UX Designer Jobs: What This Means for Your Career  Shopify Just Killed UX DesignThere is UX Life Beyond the Corporate World (And It's Not Bad at All)The Business Value of Design  Design Strategy – A Guide to Tactical Thinking in Design 

“Move fast and break things” might’ve been the startup mantra of the early 2000s—but in 2025, it’s costing companies customers, credibility, and billions in returns. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. unpacks how the speed-at-all-costs philosophy is being replaced by something smarter: thoughtful design, seamless returns, and customer-first decision-making. From Zappos' billion-dollar bet on free returns to IKEA’s cinnamon roll-powered strategy, discover how today’s best businesses are building loyalty by slowing down, listening up, and getting things right. If you’ve ever cursed a broken update or fallen in love with a handwritten thank-you note, this one’s for you. Episode Links: UX Design - The Fastest Gun in UX: Why Your Team is Telling the Wrong Story Reddit r/The10thDentist - "Move fast and break things" is terrible adviceLeadDev - Why You Shouldn't Move Fast and Break ThingsHarvard Business Review - The Era of "Move Fast and Break Things" Is OverRetail Dive - How Retail Can Navigate $816B in Returns and Rising Reverse Logistics ChallengesSpark Holyoke - Zappos: The Profitable Pursuit of Customer SatisfactionBustle - L.L.Bean's Lifetime Return Policy Is EndingUPS - How We're Making Customer Returns Easy: Happy Returns x UPSRetail Dive - UPS Acquires Happy ReturnsMedium Design Bootcamp - UX Lessons from the Very Intentional Design of IKEASupply Chain Dive - IKEA Taps Optoro for Returns SupportBaymard Institute - UX Awards 2024Forbes Business Development Council - 20 Strategies To Personalize The Customer ExperienceAmericanTrucks - About UsCrutchfield Corporation - WikipediaThe Daily Progress - 50 years in business: Bill Crutchfield founded 'a company to last'Crutchfield - The Crutchfield StoryCrutchfield - Seriously Into Audio Since 1974Much Better Adventures - Certified B CorporationMuch Better Adventures - About Us

Struggling to check out on your phone? You’re not alone. In this episode of Marginally Better, host Joe Taylor Jr. uncovers why most mobile experiences still fall flat despite making up the majority of web traffic. From jaw-dropping statistics on e-commerce conversion gaps to the dramatic downturn in UX hiring, Joe explores the widening disconnect between user needs and business decisions. Plus, a personal story about a beloved Philadelphia music venue reveals what happens when organizations forget their purpose — and what it takes to rebuild from the inside out. If you care about customer experience, workplace culture, or the future of digital design, this episode is a must-listen.Episode Links:Mobile UX Trends 2025: 9 Common Pitfalls & Best Practices The UX Reckoning: Prepare for 2025 and Beyond Why is the UX Job Market Such a Mess Right Now? — A Comprehensive Explanation 2025 Looks Like Another ‘Meh’ Year for CX The crucial role of UX in CX strategies The Historical Context of UX, UI, and Product Design The We built UX. We broke UX. And now we have to fix it! World Cafe Live workers walk off the job at Philly venue, protesting “hostility” from new leadership WORLD CAFE LIVE’S TOWN HALL / DOWNFALL Philly’s Strike Is Over But World Cafe Live’s Labor Problems Persist World Cafe Live CEO assures success in a tense town hall full of skeptical attendeees 

Is your small business secretly holding the upper hand? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores why the tiniest companies are winning big in a world of sky-high customer expectations. With 88% of consumers demanding Amazon-level convenience from every brand they encounter, the pressure is on—but small businesses might just be built for this moment. From punk rock accounting to handwritten thank-you notes, discover how lean teams are outpacing giants by delivering faster, simpler, and more human experiences. Plus, what Steve Jobs' legendary "no" can teach you about growth, focus, and saying goodbye to feature bloat. If you're looking to win on experience—not size—this episode is for you. Episode Links: Frictionless Customer Experience: Why Now and What's Next  Journey-Centric Design The Cost of Poor CX: Why Businesses Must Rethink Customer Journeys to Survive 2025    Can Small Businesses Excel as CX Champions?  10 Things to Know About Measuring and Improving CX for Brand Growth    Key CX Metrics That Shape Customer Loyalty and Business Success     Steve Jobs' Greatest UX Rule That Most Designers Ignore   Stop Building Features, Start Solving Problems   

AI gone rogue, broken feedback loops, and cancellation nightmares—this episode of Marginally Better exposes how even well-intentioned CX efforts can backfire. Joe Taylor, Jr. unpacks why 64% of customers want AI out of customer service, how survey fatigue is killing Net Promoter Scores, and why the subscription economy may finally be forced to clean up its act. From chatbot fails to $881 million algorithm mistakes, this episode explores what happens when technology outpaces empathy—and what brands must do to regain trust. Episode Links AI Must Solve Real User Problems Contact Center AI is triggering customers AI in the Workplace Effect of Declining Response Rates Click-to-cancel rule Predatory Subscriptions Dark Pattern Examples Additional Resources Zendesk - CX Trends 2025 Report Vistio - AI in Customer Service: Risks & Challenges     FullStory - How AI is Transforming Customer Experience      Microsoft - How Real-World Businesses Are Transforming with AI     Quidget - Top AI Chatbot Fails and How to Prevent Them    Hotjar - What is Net Promoter Score (NPS) Qualtrics - Net Promoter Score (NPS): The Ultimate Guide      Wikipedia - Net Promoter Score  Malewicz Method - Welcome to the Era of "MEH"    Customer Thermometer - 125 Survey Fatigue Statistics    FTC - Action Against Adobe for Hidden Fees   

What do a $13 trillion market, a groundbreaking government initiative and viral customer service disasters have in common? They're all reshaping the future of customer experience. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores how accessibility, government innovation, and the delicate balance between UX and CX are redefining what it means to serve customers in the digital age. From Fortune 500 companies ignoring basic accessibility to New York’s bold move toward citizen-centric design, this episode offers powerful lessons on why designing for everyone isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business.Episode Links: Forrester Research on Inclusive Design ROI. CMSWire - Digital Accessibility Drives Customer Loyalty. Baymard Institute Accessibility Statistics Qorus Global - Chase Bank Accessibility Approach GovTech - New York's Customer Experience Report CX Dive Interview with Tonya Webster (November 2023) New York Experience (NYX) Website Nielsen Norman Group - UX vs CX CMSWire - Bad Customer Service Examples  Additional Resources: Governor Hochul Announces Webster's Appointment (October 2023) Digital Spy - Virgin Media Deceased Customer BillUnited Breaks Guitars (Wikipedia) Marketplace - United Breaks Guitars Analysis StateScoop - Meet NY's Chief Customer Experience Officer  HelpCrunch - Customer Service Horror Stories  Spokal - Social Media Customer Service Examples 

Why are customer loyalty scores plummeting—even when satisfaction metrics are strong? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the disconnect between Customer Experience data and tangible business results. From the surprising collapse of TGI Fridays to the 20% of companies connecting feedback to revenue, this episode unpacks what it really takes to drive customer retention in 2025. Plus, Joe shares a pivotal childhood lesson in user experience from his very first (and very failed) drive-thru business. Episode Links:The Wall Street Journal explores how and why TGI Fridays fell. Customer experience is trending downward, putting many brands in a vulnerable position. Forrester’s 2024 U.S. Customer Experience Index shows that overall CX quality has dropped to its lowest point on record. Top 5 customer experience trends to watch in 2025. Predictions of how CX will evolve and how we can lead the charge into the future. Five steps to running the Wizard of Oz Method in UX. How the first drive-thru at McDonald’s came to be. 

Join host Joe Taylor Jr. as he explores the fine line between customer experience triumphs and costly missteps. From Starbucks’ turnaround to Walgreens’ recent struggles, Joe breaks down what happens when businesses lose sight of what truly matters—delivering a great customer experience at its core. Tune in to hear how plexiglass barriers and impersonal service can drive customers away and why Zappos is still more than just a shoe store. Let’s take a sharp, insightful look at where companies go wrong and how they can course-correct before they lose touch with their customers.Episode LinksExplore what factors are at play when Walgreens shutters close to 1,200 stores over the next three years.Find out just how badly the plexiglass move affected Walgreens.Walgreens’ Executives admit that the shoplifting threat was ‘overstated’ as they grapple with the customer fallout. Walgreens' CEO discusses the flip side of investing in increased security.Cal Newport shares his TikTok experience.