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 i...
Jun 21, 2025•34 min•Ep. 404
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 exper...
Jun 07, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 403
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...
May 24, 2025•37 min•Ep. 402
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. Diabol...
May 12, 2025•32 min•Ep. 401
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 20...
Apr 26, 2025•33 min•Ep. 400
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 o...
Apr 12, 2025•30 min•Ep. 399
Trust : it’s the glue that holds relationships together—both personal and professional. Yet, so many businesses get it wrong. In this special milestone episode (yes, 400 episodes!), Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton break down why trust is the foundation of every great customer experience and, more importantly, how you can earn it, keep it, and leverage it to drive growth. From sneaky fees that erode confidence to honesty that wins lifelong loyalty, we’re covering ten essential actions that...
Mar 29, 2025•29 min•Ep. 398
Are we thinking less in the age of information overload? In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton discuss the hidden dangers of short-term thinking in customer experience. Businesses are obsessed with quick fixes, but is this addiction to fast results actually damaging long-term success? Join us as we explore why short-form content gives the illusion of learning, why deep understanding requires more than a 30-second soundbite, and how behavioral science c...
Mar 15, 2025•31 min•Ep. 397
🔹 Ever wonder why you always end up choosing the medium popcorn, even when you weren’t hungry? Or why some websites magically guide you toward the “best” deal? That’s not luck—it’s behavioral science in action. In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reveal the power of nudging—tiny tweaks that subtly influence decisions without forcing them. But here’s the catch: sometimes nudges don’t work at all. So, what separates a genius nudge from a total flop? T...
Mar 08, 2025•30 min•Ep. 399
Discounting—it feels like a surefire way to attract customers, right? Everyone loves a good bargain. But what happens when discounts stop being a tool and start becoming an expectation? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive into the dangerous addiction of price discounting—how it lures in customers, why businesses struggle to stop, and the long-term damage it can do to your brand and bottom line. You'll hear painful stories of businesses that have trained their customers n...
Mar 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 398
🚀 Are your departments working together or just co-existing in polite chaos? Organizational silos are the silent killer of customer experience. Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, IT, Finance, HR—they all have their own priorities, their own goals, and their own version of success. But do those priorities align? More often than not, they don’t, and the result is a disjointed, frustrating experience for customers (and let’s be honest, for employees too). If you’ve ever tried to resolve a simple ...
Feb 22, 2025•30 min•Ep. 397
Pricing . It’s one of the most critical decisions your business will ever make, yet most people approach it like a finger-in-the-air guessing game. But what if you could tap into psychological principles to not just set prices, but make your customers feel they’re getting a great deal? That’s what this episode of The Intuitive Customer is all about. Join Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton as they break down the fascinating—and sometimes hilarious—world of psychological pricing. From late-nig...
Feb 15, 2025•37 min
Episode Summary: Are you evoking the right emotions in your customers, or are you unknowingly driving them away? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the fascinating (and often overlooked) world of customer emotions. Emotions are at the heart of every customer experience—from frustration and neglect to trust and happiness, and they’re driving your bottom line. Colin shares a story about his wife Lorraine’s coat-return drama and unpacks the emotional disaster it ...
Feb 08, 2025•35 min•Ep. 384
Episode Summary: How can you create an environment where your team feels safe to speak their minds without fear of judgment or reprisal? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton are joined by Gary Keogh, an expert in psychological safety and a former corporate leader turned coach. Together, they dive into why fostering openness in teams is more than just a buzzword—it’s the secret sauce for innovation, collaboration, and performance. Gary shares eye-opening stories, practical exam...
Feb 01, 2025•36 min•Ep. 383
Episode Summary How do you set yourself apart in an ever-evolving professional landscape? In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Ryan Hamilton dive deep into the career lessons they’ve learned over decades of navigating the twists and turns of professional life. This isn’t just another list of career tips—it's a roadmap for thriving in 2025 and beyond. From mastering long-term planning to embracing the disruptive power of technology, Colin and Ryan unpack the strategies that m...
Jan 25, 2025•33 min•Ep. 382
Episode Summary In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton delve into the fascinating world of customer habits. Colin shares his recent experiences shopping at Publix, Aldi, and Whole Foods, uncovering how deeply ingrained habits shape our decisions as customers. The discussion explores the psychology behind habit formation, the challenges businesses face when trying to change customer routines, and the critical role of segmentation in addressing diverse cu...
Jan 18, 2025•27 min•Ep. 381
Episode Summary In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Ryan Hamilton dive into the predictions shaping 2025 and their implications for customer experience. From economic uncertainty and its emotional impacts to the rise of AI in search behavior, they explore how these trends will influence customer decisions and business strategies. The conversation also delves into the unintended consequences of tariffs, the challenges of AI implementation, and the importance of maintaining a...
Jan 11, 2025•32 min•Ep. 380
Quote of the Episode "If something feels off, it probably is. Trust your instincts and push for clarity—because informed customers are empowered customers." Episode Summary In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton discuss the all-too-common experience of feeling ripped off. Drawing on Colin’s personal experiences with home repairs and unexpected costs, they delve into the anatomy of being taken advantage of as a customer. Together, they explore the power ...
Jan 04, 2025•26 min•Ep. 379
Episode Summary: In this special end-of-year episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reflect on 2024, sharing personal and professional lessons learned throughout the year. The conversation dives into themes of resilience in both life and customer experience, the vital role of community, the need for balance, and the hype surrounding AI. Key Takeaways: Resilience Matters: Colin discusses how personal resilience during a home crisis parallels the resilience required in customer experience...
Dec 28, 2024•22 min•Ep. 378
We are frustrated. Despite years of effort across industries, customer satisfaction has only seen marginal improvement since the 1990s. By marginal improvement, we mean it went up four points. That’s right, four. This stagnation suggests a need for deeper cultural and operational changes to prioritize customer experiences truly. Our discussion in this episode revolves around four key customer-centricity levels: Naive, Transactional, Enlightened, and Natural. These stages represent an organizatio...
Dec 21, 2024•33 min
Growth is essential for businesses. However, new customers with varying needs, preferences, and identities often accompany growth. Worse, these new customers can annoy or alienate your current customers. So, how do you grow without making your current business blow? Today, we explore the central challenge of growth: expanding your customer base without sparking conflicts between different customer segments. Ryan's new book, The Growth Dilemma , which Ryan co-authored with Wharton Senior Lecturer...
Dec 14, 2024•41 min
Deborah has a pickle . She is considering implementing a Loyalty Scheme but isn't sure when and how to do so. She thought we could help. We can help. The first question, then, is easy. Now. These things work. They don't create real loyalty, but they get people to keep buying from you, giving you more chances to earn loyalty. It's the second question, how, that's a little trickier. Many companies create these programs to foster loyalty, but often, they work more as reward systems, encouraging rep...
Dec 07, 2024•36 min
Why do customers tell you everything is fine when you ask them face-to-face but then give you a less-than-optimal rating later in a survey? Is everyone duplicitous, or are customers stricken with experience amnesia as soon as they make it to the car park? It turns out that it is neither a character flaw nor a medical condition that causes it. We explore what does in this episode. Let’s face it. It’s a frustrating issue that can make getting accurate and timely customer feedback hard. We begin wi...
Nov 30, 2024•26 min
Let's talk about government and Customer Experience. It might surprise you that government and Customer Experience have a tighter relationship than you think. Many organizations, particularly in the private sector, recognize the importance of providing great experiences to keep customers satisfied and loyal. But should governments do the same for their citizens? Can a well-run government improve societal well-being by focusing on efficiency, transparency, and user-friendly services? In this epis...
Nov 23, 2024•28 min
Taking unproven routes can lead to exciting new possibilities. However, it could also lead to potential failure. That's what makes life interesting, isn't it? Optimistic thinking has led to groundbreaking achievements, like the moon landing in the 1960s. However, it's important to strike a balance between hope and realism. In today's episode, we explore the concept of optimism bias and how it plays a role in the "AI Hype Cycle." We discuss the pros and cons of optimism and why it can be risky an...
Nov 16, 2024•27 min
Over the course of three years, Maersk Line improved its Net Promoter Score (NPS) by an impressive 40 points, resulting in a 10% increase in shipping volumes. Even more remarkable, this growth occurred during a global shipping decline. But can other companies replicate Maersk’s success? Or are case studies like this more cautionary tales than roadmaps? We explore the value of case studies in business, particularly how they can be used to highlight the application of concepts and theories in real...
Nov 09, 2024•28 min
If there is one thing that academics know how to do, it’s publish new research. It seems that umpteen studies are published every hour. It can be overwhelming to keep up with it all. So, we undertook it to help you with this week’s episode. We explore three fascinating studies in the realm of consumer behavior with insights from Dr. Morgan Ward , a Professor of Consumer Behavior at Emory University. From the influence of sound on social status to the role of streaks in motivating behavior and ev...
Nov 02, 2024•35 min
Colin doesn’t sit in aisle 13 when he flies on an airline. It’s silly but true. He also fancies his red knickers on days when he is speaking in front of large crowds. While this errs on the side of too much information, it also foretells the topic of this week’s episode: superstitions and how they influence our decisions as customers and otherwise. Many of us hold on to irrational beliefs that are common sense, even when they defy logic. Airlines, for instance, often skip row 13 because of wides...
Oct 26, 2024•27 min
Hurricane Debbie dumped 17 inches of water in Colin's home. It was a traumatic experience, from wading through the murky water to the neighbor’s house—hoping not to encounter the alligators that usually hang out nearby—to watching a team of 12 recovery professionals sweeping through and gutting what remained inside after the water subsided. The experience has been emotionally draining, especially since they didn't have flood insurance, making the cost of repairs overwhelming. It exposed the emot...
Oct 19, 2024•36 min
Customer feedback is critical to managing and improving your customer experience but it isn’t easy to get. Worse, it isn’t always useful and enlightening on what you are doing well, or perhaps more importantly, not so well. In this episode, we tackle a common problem many businesses face: how to get more actionable customer feedback. Our guest, Tim Waterton , Chief Revenue Officer of HappyOrNot®, brings over 20 years of experience in helping companies gather and analyze customer insights. Watert...
Oct 12, 2024•34 min
