On Thanksgiving Day, whilst American families gather to express gratitude, eCommerce businesses gear up for the most transactional weekend of the year. Matt Edmundson explores why businesses that win long-term aren't those with the best Black Friday discounts, but those that genuinely appreciate the humans behind the transactions.

Episode Summary

Matt shares the Gratitude Audit - a three-level framework distinguishing between no appreciation, automated appreciation, and personal gratitude. Through the story of transforming a beauty business that achieved 40% repeat purchase rates and 20% revenue growth, he demonstrates how culturally embedding thankfulness creates customers who become brand evangelists. The episode reveals why automated loyalty schemes create entitlement whilst personal touches compound loyalty, supported by research showing grateful customers are 23% more profitable.

Key Point Timestamps:

03:00 - The Problem with Automated Gratitude

06:00 - Have We Missed the Simplicity of Gratitude?

08:00 - The Gratitude Audit Framework

14:00 - What Makes Gratitude Actually Work

18:00 - Implementing Gratitude Without It Feeling Fake

26:00 - Why This Actually Matters During Black Friday

31:00 - Your Thanksgiving Challenge

The Problem with Automated Gratitude (03:00 )

Matt compares two experiences of receiving something free: getting his tenth burrito automatically at Barburrito versus Emirates unexpectedly upgrading him to first class. Both were technically free, but elicited completely different emotional responses.

"I get my tenth burrito free at Barburrito. It's automatic and completely predictable. I just scan my app and it's done. I know it's coming because that's how loyalty schemes work. And you know what I feel when I get it? Nothing much. Well, that's not quite true. If I'm honest, I kinda feel entitled to it."

The Emirates upgrade, five years later, still gets mentioned. The difference? Automated appreciation has diminishing returns whilst personal gratitude compounds over time. Research shows gratitude is heightened when customers perceive actions as discretionary rather than obligatory.

The Gratitude Audit Framework (08:00 )

Matt introduces three levels of customer appreciation that most businesses move through:

Level 1: No Appreciation - Where most eCommerce businesses live during busy periods. Functional and transactional: "Your order #827364 has been shipped." It's not rude, but it's nothing.

Level 2: Automated Appreciation - Loyalty schemes, automated thank you emails, points systems. Better than nothing, but automation removes the perception of free will, creating contractual obligation rather than gift.

Level 3: Personal Gratitude - Where Emirates upgrades and handwritten notes live. Where real human connection happens. Personal gratitude compounds over time rather than diminishing, and it doesn't have to be expensive - it has to be genuine.

What Makes Gratitude Actually Work (14:00 )

Matt shares how transforming a beauty business around customer service - which really means finding ways to say thank you more genuinely - led to remarkable results. The team implemented handwritten notes, reached out when customers purchased multiple times, and allocated £50 SMOCs budgets (Sexy Moments of Customer Service) to warehouse and customer service staff.

"We allocated a budget of £50 to our warehouse and customer service teams. They could spend that money on a customer without prior authorisation. Just creating moments that mattered."

Matt would randomly pick orders and include personal notes with his direct email. Rather than creating entitled customers, it created reverent appreciation. Over 18 months, overall turnover increased by 20% from repeat customers, with repeat purchase rates shooting above 40%.

Implementing Gratitude Without It Feeling Fake (18:00 )

Authentic gratitude must be consistent, costly in some way (time, money, or attention), given without expectation of direct return, and culturally embedded rather than tactically deployed. Matt uses Five Guys as an example - they put extra fries in every bag, costing millions annually, yet never mention it in marketing.

Practical implementation starts with auditing every touchpoint: ads, social media, website, checkout, thank you page, order confirmation, shipping notification, the package itself, and follow-up emails. At each point, ask: where am I showing gratitude? Is it automated or personal?

Simple shifts include adding videos to thank you pages (seen by nearly 100% of customers), sending photos of warehouse staff who packed orders in shipping notifications, and separating administration from appreciation by sending standalone thank you emails distinct from order confirmations.

Why This Actually Matters During Black Friday (26:00 )

The neuroscience is compelling. When customers feel genuinely appreciated, their brains release dopamine (reward hormone), oxytocin (bonding hormone), and serotonin (happiness hormone). This isn't soft psychology - it's measurable brain chemistry.

"Companies that regularly express genuine appreciation to customers outperform competitors by 23% in profitability. A 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 75% increase in profitability."

Customers who feel appreciated become less price-sensitive, more likely to refer friends, more likely to buy again, and more likely to leave positive reviews and post on social media without being asked. Especially during Black Friday chaos when most businesses treat customers like transaction numbers, authentic gratitude becomes a powerful differentiator.

Today's Guest

Today's guest: Matt Edmundson

Company: Aurion

Website: aurioncompany.com

LinkedIn: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn