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 Bill
• United 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 Links

• Explore 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.