In this episode of Service Design Principles, Guy and Daniele talk about the critical role of naming in service design. Daniele shares a story from his parents’ experience establishing a church in Switzerland, where an initial naming choice led to confusion. A renaming solved the issue and shaped the church’s identity.

The discussion then moves to project naming. Daniele explains how names can set expectations and influence outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of names that convey vision and values, avoiding generic terms that might mislead stakeholders.

Guy adds his perspective, recounting how different group names at a former job—councils, committees, working groups—helped clarify roles and responsibilities. The talk explores the balance between innovative and standard naming, using a tech company’s choice of a new product term as a case study.

Listeners also hear about a well-known entertainment company’s unique naming conventions for visitors and employees, illustrating how thoughtful naming can shape experiences.

The episode concludes with Daniele’s cautionary tale on the importance of easy-to-spell names, highlighting potential issues with misspellings. Tune in to learn more about the strategic significance of naming in service design.

–

00:00 Intro

AI generated episode summary

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Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

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Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

In this episode, Daniele and Guy talk about the Workplace, including the need for rest, practical ideas on how to manage workload and communication channels, and how there are many things everyone can do to make their workplace better, even if they aren’t in a position of authority.

Note: We used a new service to record this episode, and I (Guy) neglected to set up my levels properly, so there are points where my audio is a little distorted. I tried to fix this as much as possible in “post”, but it’s still noticeable. Sorry for this drop in quality - it’s a valuable lesson learned!

Chapters

00:00:00 Workplace

00:00:02 Intro

00:01:15 Employee experience is an essential part of Service Design

00:12:27 Work Can Wait

00:20:57 The benefits of rest

00:26:26 Employees Should Check Their Email Less Often

00:32:58 Put Some Stupid Plants to Make Your Workplace Better

00:34:28 Your Open Space Is Like Hell

00:43:04 Mistakes Are Worthy Only If You Share Them

00:48:21 Create a process of recognizing your colleagues

00:51:50 A brief caveat for those in toxic environments

00:56:17 You Need To Repeat a Behavior for 66 Days to Create a New Habit

01:01:03 Authority does not a leader make

01:06:19 Wrap up

01:07:45 Credits - thanks to Castopod.com

Mentioned

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

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Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

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Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

This episode Daniele and Guy take a look at Technology, and join most of the world to give our take on AI. We espouse the virtues of analog technology (pencil and paper), and look at why some bots are better then humans, and others make us feel betrayed.

Chapters

Mentioned in this episode:

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

This episode Guy Martin and Daniele Catalanotto go into what makes a service seem impersonal, and how organizations can make small changes to help their customers feel warmer about their interactions. Daniele tries to get a coffee from Starbucks, and we talk about hotels again.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:48 Organizations are collections of humans

01:49 Ask Unnecessary Emotional information

04:43 Good salespeople understand the value of emotion

06:30 It works even when we recognize it

11:32 Different Levels of Service Design

13:28 Some good advice when facing change and uncertainty

15:19 Making It Personal Is Different For Every Culture

18:01 Culture is more than just nationality

23:41 Just Remember Me

29:03 and for extra points, Remember My Preferences

31:43 If you already have the information, use it!

34:17 Outro

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

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Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

In this episode, we explore the nuanced relationship between pricing strategies and service design. The discussion highlights three key areas:

Complex Pricing and User Interface Design: Daniele shares insights on how complex pricing can complicate user interfaces, using public transportation ticket machines as an example. He suggests that simplifying pricing could lead to more user-friendly interfaces.

Innovative Pricing Models: The conversation covers innovative approaches to pricing, such as Switzerland’s “L’abonnement général” for public transport, and the simplicity and transparency of Basecamp’s pricing model for SaaS. These examples illustrate the benefits of straightforward pricing structures in enhancing customer experience.

Psychological Impact of Pricing on Quality Perception: Daniele discusses how pricing affects customers’ perceptions of quality and engagement, sharing personal anecdotes about book pricing strategies. The episode delves into ethical considerations in pricing, emphasizing the importance of building meaningful relationships through thoughtful pricing strategies.

Overall, the episode sheds light on the intricate role of pricing in service design, urging designers and businesses to consider how pricing strategies impact user experience, customer relationships, and perceived value.

(Show summary by ChatGPT)

00:00 Intro

Swiss GA Travelcard - “l’abonnement général”- https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/travelcards/ga-travelcard.html

Fair Tiq - https://fairtiq.com/en/

37 Signals - https://37signals.com/

BANT Framework - Budget Authority Need Timing (Search for “BANT framework alternative” for other frameworks)

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

Guy Martin talks with Daniele Catalanotto about the release of his latest book on Service Design Principles. The conversation starts with Daniele clarifying what service design principles mean: ideas or advice aimed at simplifying and enhancing human experiences. The books are described as a “toilet books” - ideal for short, insightful reads leading to brief moments of reflection.

Daniele reveals that this fourth volume in the series adopts a fresh approach by incorporating feedback and insights from a global tour where he engaged with service design experts. This iteration is not just a book but a comprehensive media experience, featuring around 10 hours of video content. It integrates expert discussions directly into the narrative, allowing readers to explore topics more deeply online.

We also touch on the diverse content and the inclusion of a curated list of resources at the book’s end, making it a valuable tool for both casual reading and in-depth exploration of service design.

Highlighting the communal aspect of this launch, Daniele invites listeners to a unique party, marking the book’s release. Unlike typical launch events, this gathering aims to foster a broader discussion on service design, encouraging questions and interactions with experts from around the world.

https://store.swissinnovation.academy/book-launch-party-service-design-principles-301-400

00:00 Intro

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

In this first “long-form” episode of the Service Design Principles podcast, we explore how the perception of time influences people’s experiences of waiting. We use examples such as train journeys and elevator lobbies to illustrate how changing the environment or offering distractions can alter perceptions of waiting time.

Then we go into the concept of ‘cooling-off’ periods in various contexts, like medical decisions and major purchases, emphasising the need for waiting in certain decision-making processes.

The conversation shifts to practical strategies in customer service, focusing on modern solutions like callback options in hotlines and designing more thoughtful on-hold experiences. We highlight the importance of transparency and communication in setting realistic expectations and providing clear information to enhance customer satisfaction.

We talk about the potential of using waiting time creatively, suggesting that waiting periods can be transformed into opportunities for education and engagement, offering examples where waiting time is utilised to provide informative content or entertainment.

The role of smartphones in waiting scenarios is also discussed. We acknowledge the prevalent and almost addictive use of mobile devices but suggest that allowing phone usage in waiting areas can be beneficial.

We then conclude that waiting can actually have a strategic value in service design. When managed appropriately, waiting can be an integral and constructive part of the service experience.

Chapters:

Rory Sutherland TED talk:

New York Times article on increasing walking times at Houston airport reduced complaints about luggage delivery times: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/why-waiting-in-line-is-torture.html (Sorry for the paywall - this was the earliest source I could find for this)

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

Program Note - Change of format.

Previous episodes have been based on a single episode for a single principle.

Future episodes will be based on a single episode for a group of principles in a single theme.

If you have actionable feedback or suggestions, or just want to tell us what we’re doing right - please let us know at [email protected].

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

We discuss the twelfth principle: the ineffectiveness of offering coupons as a remedy for service failures. We delve into why this common practice often feels insincere and can backfire.

Daniele explains that the repetitive use of coupons as a response to service failures diminishes their value and impact. He likens it to apologizing with flowers every time one is late – it loses its meaning and becomes predictable. We discuss how this approach can lead to negative associations, similar to how excessive swearing loses its emphasis.

We also explore the unintended consequences of such practices, drawing parallels with a story from “Freakonomics” about a kindergarten that introduced fines for late pickups, which inadvertently increased late pickups as it turned a moral obligation into a transaction.

“Freakonomics” by Steven D Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner, published by Penguin Books.

The conversation then shifts to the importance of knowing when to use different tools in service recovery. Daniele highlights the Swiss railway system, where discretion is given to frontline workers to handle mistakes, emphasizing the need for a varied toolbox in handling service errors.

We also touch on the issue of customers gaming the system, particularly in the context of hotel loyalty points, where complaints can be leveraged for rewards. This leads to a discussion on the importance of not normalizing coupons and understanding the customer’s perspective – a coupon requiring further engagement with the service may not be appealing to a dissatisfied customer.

Lastly, we discuss the broader implications of automating responses like coupons, urging businesses to consider the habits and expectations they are creating with such practices.

This episode offers a critical look at the overuse of coupons in service recovery and the need for more thoughtful, context-sensitive approaches to addressing service failures.

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting

In this episode, we explore Principle 11, “Suggest Something After the Error,” focusing on practical approaches to error management in service design.

We begin by examining the evolution of the 404 error page in website design. This serves as a clear example of how error messages have shifted from simple notifications to more user-focused solutions. We discuss the importance of guiding users towards helpful alternatives or back to their intended path when an error occurs.

Our conversation then turns to the concept of empowering users in the face of errors. We talk about how service design should provide users with options and guidance to navigate through errors, turning these moments into opportunities for positive interaction and problem-solving.

We also cover proactive error management, including strategies like automatic error reporting. We highlight how showing users that steps are being taken to address issues can build trust and reliability.

Recognizing the diverse needs and capabilities of different businesses, we address the challenges, especially for smaller companies, in implementing advanced error management technologies. We emphasize the importance of using available resources to enhance user experiences in error situations.

To conclude, we stress the importance of viewing errors as opportunities to assist and support users, aiming to create a more seamless and effective user experience in service design.

Interested in the book, Service Design Principles 1-100? Check out the special offer just for podcast listeners.

Support us with Value 4 Value

Find out more about “Value 4 Value” here: https://value4value.info/

Time - rate us on your preferred podcast platform, write a review, or submit your own service design principles or insights into the SDP in the books.

Talent - Help promote the podcast on social media, produce some incidental music for the show, or suggest a way your talents can help.

Treasure - use a modern podcast app to send us boost-a-grams or streaming value. We’ll recognize all contributions and comments in future episodes. Alternatively, make a traditional donation via Ko-Fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs.

Get a modern podcast app: https://modernpodcastapps.com/

Traditional donation:

Daniele Catalanotto is a service design practitioner, the author of the Service Design Principles series of books, and the founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy

Guy Martin has worked with global companies and startups in a wide range of roles, including service delivery, corporate education, and leadership development.

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Thanks to Castopod, a Podcasting 2.0 and ActivityPub enabled host, for their support.

A production of Neolux Consulting