In this milestone episode, The Intuitive Customer undergoes a transformation. Colin Shaw announces a step back from the regular hosting role, prompting a fresh chapter in the podcast’s evolution. Hosts Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton introduce two new expert contributors — Dr. Morgan Ward, a consumer psychologist, and Ben Shaw, a brand strategist — to bring fresh perspectives on customer behavior, brand experience, and the future of CX.

Together, the four hosts discuss the state of customer experience today, particularly in light of the stagnant growth in the American Customer Satisfaction Index over the past three decades. They debate metrics versus meaning, the enduring value of physical retail, and the coming wave of non-visual AI-driven brand interactions. The episode sets the stage for a broader, more dynamic take on what it means to truly understand and serve customers in the modern age.

Quote of the Episode

"We're using metrics that are more relevant to the business than to the person actually experiencing the brand."

— Dr. Morgan Ward

Key Takeaways

Customer satisfaction has plateaued: The American Customer Satisfaction Index has barely moved in 30 years, despite huge investments in CX. This calls into question the effectiveness of current CX strategies.

ROI needs to be central: CX professionals must link experience improvements directly to financial returns if they want continued investment.

Metrics can be misleading: Overly relying on simplified metrics like NPS can lead organizations astray, especially when they’re gamed or don’t reflect real consumer emotions.

Retail is making a comeback: Resurgence in physical retail’s emotional power especially among younger consumers who crave tactile experiences.

The future is voice-first: How AI-driven, non-visual brand experiences will redefine customer interaction demanding new forms of design thinking.

Dual focus is key: Brands must balance operational improvements today with strategic planning for a fast-approaching future filled with disruptive technologies.

Resources Mentioned

American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI):

www.acsi.org — Independent benchmark of customer satisfaction in the U.S. since 1994.

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025 

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

Ben Shaw

Ben Shaw is Chief Strategy Officer at MullenLowe UK, having also led strategy at BBH and worked client-side with fast-growth start-ups Wheely and Unmind. He’s passionate about how brands can challenge culture convention and create ideas people want to spend time with, working on brands like Audi, Google and Burger King.  Beyond advertising, Ben champions mental health awareness and rare disease research, drawing on both personal experience and professional curiosity.

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Morgan Ward

Morgan Ward, Ph.D. is a marketing scholar and former professor at Emory University and Southern Methodist University, with over two decades of expertise in consumer behavior and branding. She’s worked with clients ranging from start-ups to global brands, helping them translate behavioral science into strategies that resonate in culture and drive growth. Her academic research explores status, symbolism, and the psychology of consumption, and she has served as an expert witness in federal trademark and trade dress cases. Beyond her academic and consulting work, Morgan is fascinated by how cultural shifts shape what people desire, and how brands can both reflect and influence those desires.

Follow Morgan on LinkedIn

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You can theorise about Customer Experience all day, but gaining a Net Promoter score of 90 is not a theory. It shows a great focus and implementation of Customer Experience. This week, we are exploring how this was achieved with Kamron Kunce, VP of Marketing & Customer Experience at RJ Young. https://www.rjyoung.com/

RJ Young has been in business for over 70 years and boasts a world-class NPS score of 90+ — no small feat in today’s hypercompetitive market.

Kamron shares how they’ve transformed their Customer Experience, navigated organisational silos, and are thoughtfully introducing AI into their processes — without losing that all-important human touch.

If you’re wrestling with legacy systems, struggling to turn CX theory into practice, or figuring out how to scale with AI without alienating customers,  this episode is packed with practical tips you can take away today.

And, if you're a regular listener, you'll know this one plays right into one of Ryan’s and my favourite themes: breaking down those silos!

Best Quote From the Episode

“Customer Experience is everyone’s responsibility. It’s not just about Customer Service — it’s about aligning the whole organisation around delivering value at every touchpoint.” — Kamron Kunce, RJ Young

Key Takeaways

✅ CX must be a core business strategy, not a bolt-on function of Customer Service. RJ Young’s “Make It Right Guarantee” puts this principle front and centre.

✅ Map your Customer Journey — and revisit it regularly. Quarterly and annual reviews keep RJ Young’s CX aligned to ever-evolving customer expectations.

✅ Break down silos with transparency. Weekly cross-functional updates and quarterly company-wide video broadcasts ensure alignment across 700 employees and 9 states.

✅ Cross-functional collaboration is critical. Everyone, including Finance and HR, plays a role in the Customer Experience.

✅ Thoughtful use of AI is the future. RJ Young is leveraging AI to improve backend data insights and operational efficiency, without removing the human element that drives loyalty.

✅ CX + Culture go hand in hand. Embedding CX into your company culture is essential for sustainable success.

Resources Mentioned

RJ Young: https://www.rjyoung.com/ 

Kamron Kunce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamronkunce/

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025 

 

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In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw speaks with Andy Traba, VP of Product Marketing at NICE, about the company’s new mission: Creating a NiCE World. This isn’t just a rebranding message — it’s a strategic shift toward unified, proactive, and AI-enabled customer experiences.

Andy and Colin explore why AI alone isn’t enough, the dangers of siloed implementations, and why leading organizations are turning to platforms — not point solutions — to orchestrate connected, emotionally resonant journeys.

If your organization is serious about CX transformation, this conversation provides clear guidance on where to start, what to avoid, and how to align internal functions toward a shared customer strategy.

Quote of the Episode

“The moment you find success with AI, you’ll want more. That’s why you have to start with a platform — not a point solution — so your entire organization can scale, align, and deliver a truly connected experience.”

— Andy Traba, VP of Product Marketing, NiCE

 

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• NICE’s Global Happiness Index and the emotional impact of service

• Why 37% of customers still get stuck in repeat interactions

• The risk of siloed AI and “Frankenstack” technology stacks

• Platform strategies for AI orchestration and enterprise-wide memory

• Proactive service as the new CX battleground

• Segment of one personalization and behavioral science applications

• Practical starting points for CX leaders in 2025

📎 Resources Mentioned

• NiCE - https://www.nice.com/

• NiCE Global Happiness Index Report - https://get.nice.com/2024-intl-happiness-index-report.html

• Connect with Andy Traba on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-traba-a75a1b3/

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press 2025 

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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This podcast was undertaken in partnership with NiCE

 

AI is taking over—well, at least some parts of customer service. But how do you know when to automate and when to stick with the good old-fashioned human touch? In this episode, we dive into one of the most crucial decisions organizations are making today: When should you use AI, and when do customers actually need a human?

Spoiler alert: If you let AI handle everything, you might save money—but you could also drive your customers straight to your competitors.

Best Quote from the Episode:

"You don’t want AI handling a $300 million defense contract. ‘Hello! I see you're interested in missile systems. Would you like fries with that?’"

Key Takeaways:

• AI Should Enhance, Not Replace – AI can automate routine interactions, but when emotions are high (like fraud issues or complaints), a human is still king.

• The Wrong Cost-Cutting Strategy Can Cost You More – AI might save money upfront, but if it frustrates customers, it can drive them away.

• Know Your Audience – Some customers love chatbots; others despise them. Testing is critical.

• Context Matters – A simple question like checking an account balance? AI can handle it. A frustrated customer dealing with a major issue? Bring in the humans.

• AI + Humans = The Winning Formula – Studies show AI-generated emails can be more empathetic than human ones (yes, really!), but the best approach is using AI to support human interactions, not replace them.

Why You Should Listen:

If you’re thinking about rolling out AI across your customer experience, stop and listen to this episode first. We break down the risks, the rewards, and how to make sure you don’t end up with a frustrated customer base ready to rage-tweet about you.

Resources Mentioned

Wall Street Journal Article: Turns Out AI Is More Empathetic Than Allstate’s Insurance Reps

https://www.wsj.com/articles/turns-out-ai-is-more-empathetic-than-allstates-insurance-reps-cf5f7c98?utm_source=chatgpt.com

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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How do you grow your revenues without upsetting your existing customers? 

In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive into the new book he has written with Anne Wilson, Senior Lecturer at Wharton. 

Published by Harvard Business Review Press, the book is called: 

The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things

Available here: https://bit.ly/3ZCN2wD

Professor Ryan Hamilton reveal how brand growth often gets derailed not by bad strategy, but by insufficient attention to how your customer segments relate to each other. You may think your audiences are living on separate islands, but spoiler alert: they’re not. They're watching each other, seeing what the other does, and sometimes they don’t like it and will move elsewhere. 

From Crocs to Prius to the Bud Light fiasco (and yes, even neo-Nazis in New Balance sneakers), this episode pulls no punches. It’s a fast-paced, funny, and brutally honest look at why many brands fail to grow—and how you can avoid becoming the following cautionary tale.

💥 Best Quote from the Episode:

"If your growth strategy relies on one customer segment not hearing what you're saying to another, it's already a bad strategy." — Prof. Ryan Hamilton

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why growth isn’t just about what you offer—it’s about who sees you offering it

• The hidden relationships between customer segments and how they impact brand value

• Why Bud Light’s attempt to broaden its appeal led to a marketing meltdown

• How Crocs turned from a fashion joke to a fashion statement

• What to do when the wrong customer segments start adopting your brand

• How to spot leader–follower segment dynamics and use them to scale

• Practical questions to ask before you launch a growth strategy

📘 About the Book: The Growth Dilemma

Ryan’s new book with Annie Wilson is out now! Published by Harvard Business Review Press, The Growth Dilemma explores how inter-segment conflict affects brand growth and what to do about it. It’s innovative, practical, and unlike anything else out there.

Buy it now: https://bit.ly/3ZCN2wD

📣 Get Involved

If you're leading a brand, managing customer segments, or thinking about how to grow, this episode is for you.

Reach out to Ryan on LinkedIn if you're interested in:

• Workshops

• Keynotes

• Or just picking his brain over a coffee (virtual or otherwise)

📨 Connect with Ryan: https://bit.ly/3SvsqTh

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience. Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of the book 'The Intuitive Customer'. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things.” Harvard Business Press 2025. 

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

 

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Have you ever said “thank you” to a chatbot or Chat GPT? Well, you’re not alone—and you might just be weirder than you think. It turns out AI can be more empathic than people. But what do Customers think of AI experiences? Academic research reveals the answers we discuss in this show. 

In this special live-recorded episode from the SOCAP Conference, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton explore the psychology behind how customers actually feel about AI—and what that means for your customer experience.

Ryan dives into the latest academic research on AI trust, customer behaviour, and why people treat AI like it’s part of the cast of Friends. Meanwhile, Colin keeps things grounded with real-life examples with his usual “so what?” test.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why 50% of customers trust companies less when they know AI is involved

• How AI literacy backfires (the more people understand it, the less they use it!)

• The subtle “outgroup” bias customers apply to AI systems

• Why hedonic recommendations (like chocolate) must come from humans

• How one bad AI interaction can poison the well for all future ones

• What the hell “personification” means—and why it matters for your brand

• The surprising emotional tension behind AI adoption (it’s empowering and scary)

Best Quote from the Episode:

“AI isn’t human, but customers treat it like it is—and that means it’s being judged by human standards. If it screws up once, they’ll remember. And they’ll blame all AI for it.” – Professor Ryan Hamilton

Resources Mentioned

This podcast is sponsored by SOCAP International and IA Solutions, who are both as passionate about improving customer experience as we are.

SOCAP: https://socap.org/

IA Solutions: https://iacallcenter.com/ 

Research References:

• Castelo, Noah, Maarten W. Bos, and Donald R. Lehmann (2019), “Task-Dependent Algorithm Aversion,” Journal of Marketing Research, 56 (5), 809-825.

• Dietvorst, Berkeley J., Joseph P. Simmons, and Cade Massey (2015), “Algorithm aversion: people erroneously avoid algorithms after seeing them err,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144, 1, 114.

• Hermann, Erik, and Stefano Puntoni, (2024), “Artificial intelligence and consumer behavior: From predictive to generative AI,” Journal of Business Research, 180, 114720.

• Ipsos (2022), “Global opinions about AI – January 2022, https://t.ly/qyyEI

• Longoni, Chiara, and Luca Cian (2022), “Artificial Intelligence in Utilitarian vs. Hedonic Contexts: The “Word-of-Machine” Effect,” Journal of Marketing, 86 (1), 91-108.

• Puntoni, Stefano, Rebecca W. Reczek, Markus Giesler, and Simona Botti (2021), “Consumers and Artificial Intelligence: An Experiential Perspective,” Journal of Marketing, 85 (1), 131-151.

• Santoro, Erik, and Benoît Monin (2023), “The AI Effect: People rate distinctively human attributes as more essential to being human after learning about artificial intelligence advances,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 107, 104464.

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

 

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How happy are you when you buy auto insurance? If your answer is anything other than thrilled, you’re not alone. In fact, years ago, a UK insurance company tried to convince us otherwise with their tagline “Quote Me Happy.” Spoiler alert: Nobody was happy.

This raises a fascinating question: What role does advertising play in the customer experience, and why is there such a massive disconnect between the ads we see and what we actually get?

In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the Great Expectation Gap—and they’ve brought in a special guest: Ben Shaw, Chief Strategy Officer at MullenLowe (and, fun fact, Colin’s son). It turns out that years of heated Sunday lunch debates on advertising vs. CX have led to this moment! 🍽️

Together, they explore why marketing often sets unrealistic expectations, how brands can align advertising with reality, and why great advertising can only work if the customer experience delivers on the promise.

💡 Tune in to discover: ✅ Why customers feel frustrated when reality doesn’t match advertising promises ✅ The power of the word "BUT" in advertising and how it reveals hidden customer tensions ✅ The real reason marketing and CX teams aren’t on the same page—and how to fix it ✅ How Apple mastered the art of aligning advertising and customer experience ✅ Why spending more on advertising won’t solve a broken CX (no matter how creative the campaign is)

Best Quote from the Episode:

The Brand makes the promise in the Market, the Customer Experience should deliver against that promise. — Colin Shaw

 Resources Mentioned

Ben Shaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benshawuk/

'Brand Ben' on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benshaw37?_t=ZN-8ujJORxL3SQ&_r=1

Mullen Lowe: https://www.mullenlowe.co.uk/

 About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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#CustomerExperience #Marketing #Advertising #Branding #CX

Episode Summary:

Everyone’s talking about AI like it’s some kind of CX fairy godmother—“Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! Your NPS just went up 50 points!”

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work like that.

In this episode, Colin and Ryan are joined by Frederic Durand, CEO of Diabolocom, and Collin D. Ehret, Senior Enterprise Sales Director (yes, another Collin… brace yourself), for a no-fluff, practical, and slightly irreverent discussion about what it really takes to implement AI in your customer experience.

Diabolocom

Website: https://www.diabolocom.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diabolocom/

Frederic Durand

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fpdurand/ 

Collin D. Ehret 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinehret/ 

 

This is a must-listen if you're wondering:

• Why most AI deployments stall before takeoff

• How to avoid drowning in customer data

• Why your silos are killing your CX

• And how AI can actually make your human interactions better

You’ll hear real-world examples, hard-earned insights, and maybe even a laugh or two (two Colins on one podcast—what could go wrong?).

🔥 Best Quote from the Episode:

“AI isn’t a magic wand. If your process is a mess, AI will just make it a faster, more expensive mess.” — Frederic Durand, Diabolocom

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Start small, think big: The best AI implementations begin with narrow, clearly defined use cases—not a 3-year transformation plan with 47 KPIs.

• Data is your foundation: If your data isn’t clean, your AI won’t be either. Garbage in = garbage out, just faster and more confidently wrong.

• Break the silos: AI can’t fix your customer experience if Marketing, IT, and Customer Service are all playing in separate sandboxes.

• Empathy still wins: When AI takes care of the boring stuff, your humans can focus on being... well, human. And that’s what customers remember.

• Vendors should act like partners: Don’t buy tools. Build relationships with people who’ve seen the battlefield—and won.

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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Eight years, 750,000 downloads, and 400 episodes later, The Intuitive Customer is celebrating this major milestone! In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reflect on what has changed in customer experience over the years and share their biggest learnings.

📊 The Reality of Podcasting:

• Podcasting is booming, with 546 million listeners worldwide.

• 47% of the U.S. population (12+) listens to a podcast at least once a month.

• Podcast ad spending is projected to hit $4.02 billion in 2024.

• But here’s the kicker:

• 50% of podcasts die after three episodes.

• Only 20% make it past 10 episodes.

• Most don’t last three years.

💡 We are in the top 2% of all podcasts globally—thanks to you, our listeners!

Key Takeaways

“Customer experience isn’t just about the experience—it’s about the memory of the experience. People don’t remember every detail; they remember the peak and the end. If you’re not designing for memory, you’re missing a massive opportunity.”

🏆 The Big Customer Experience Lessons from 400 Episodes: 🔹 1. CX is Still a Work in Progress (And That’s a Problem) 🔹 2. Memory Matters More Than You Think 🔹 3. Behavioral Science is the Secret Sauce (That Many Ignore)

 

Resources Mentioned

MasterClass Series: https://beyondphilosophy.com/why-customers-make-instant-decisions-and-how-to-effect-it/

Memory Mini-Series: https://beyondphilosophy.com/our-behavior-is-motivated-by-what-we-recall-so-how-are-memories-formed-memory-mini-series-1-3/

 

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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First impressions aren’t just important—they’re everything. Research shows that customers, clients, and even your colleagues are forming opinions about you, your brand, and your business in mere seconds—often before you even get a chance to introduce yourself!

In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the psychology of first impressions, exploring the fascinating (and slightly terrifying) science behind snap judgments. How fast do customers decide whether they like or trust you? Why do first impressions stick so stubbornly? And most importantly—how can you make sure your business gets it right?

From real-world business insights to slightly embarrassing personal stories (yes, there’s a “matching tie and handkerchief” moment), this episode is packed with actionable takeaways, humor, and behavioral science gold.

If you’ve ever wondered why customers make instant decisions about your brand—and how to make sure those decisions work in your favor—this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Best Quote from the Episode:

"People decide if they like you before you even open your mouth. Customers do the same thing with your business. And once that first impression is locked in? Good luck changing it." – Colin Shaw

Key Takeaways:

✅ Customers form opinions in seconds. Studies show that people can judge competence, trustworthiness, and likability in as little as 10 seconds—or less!

✅ Your rational brain is slower than your gut. Neuroscience suggests that we make decisions before we consciously think about them—then we just make up a story to justify the decision we already made.

✅ Bad first impressions are a business killer. If your website looks outdated, your store is messy, or your customer service rep is unfriendly—customers won’t stick around to give you a second chance.

✅ The Halo Effect can work for you (or against you). One good first impression can positively color how customers see your entire brand. But a bad one? That impression sticks.

✅ First impressions happen multiple times. The moment a customer sees your ad, lands on your website, calls your contact center, or walks into your store—each moment is a new first impression. Make them count.

✅ Be careful what YOU look for. Your own biases affect how you judge customers, employees, and even your team. If you assume someone is a "bad fit," you’ll find reasons to confirm it—even if it’s not true.

🔎 Why You Should Listen:

• Want to know how to create the perfect first impression for your business?

• Curious about the crazy science behind why people judge in a split second?

• Want to hear Colin and Ryan debate whether a “matching tie and handkerchief” can ruin your career?

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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