Latest / The iDesign Lab Podcast / Customer Experience Design: Why People Keep Coming Back
Transcript
- 0:00Voice Over: This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design.
- 0:06Voice Over: Curator of interiors, furnishings, and lifestyles, hosted by Tiffany Woolley, an interior designer and a style enthusiast, along with her serial entrepreneur husband Scott.
- 0:17Voice Over: iDesign Lab is your ultimate design podcast where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and its constant evolution in style and trends.
- 0:31TIffany Woolley: Why some experiences feel magical?
- 0:35TIffany Woolley: Welcome back to the iDesign Lab Podcast.
- 0:38TIffany Woolley: Today we're talking about something we've all experienced, but probably don't think about very often.
- 0:44TIffany Woolley: Have you ever walked into a place and immediately felt comfortable, excited, more relaxed, or even impressed?
- 0:51TIffany Woolley: Maybe it was a hotel, a restaurant, a theme park, or even a retail store.
- 0:57TIffany Woolley: Whatever it was, there was something about the experience that just felt right.
- 1:03Scott Woolley: And what's interesting is that most people assume those experiences happen naturally.
- 1:08Scott Woolley: They think great service is lucky, or that some businesses simply have better employees.
- 1:13Scott Woolley: But when you start looking at companies that consistently deliver amazing experiences, you realize almost nothing is accidental.
- 1:22Scott Woolley: Every detail has been designed.
- 1:25Scott Woolley: The environment, the customer journey, the communication, and even how people feel during the experience have been all been carefully designed.
- 1:36TIffany Woolley: And that's what fascinates me the most.
- 1:38TIffany Woolley: Great companies don't just design products, they design emotions.
- 1:43TIffany Woolley: They think about how they want customers to feel from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave.
- 1:50TIffany Woolley: And when it's done well, customers don't even notice all of that was in play.
- 1:56TIffany Woolley: They just simply walk away saying, wow, that was incredible.
- 2:01Scott Woolley: You're right.
- 2:02Scott Woolley: And exactly today we're going to look at a few different companies.
- 2:06Scott Woolley: I think like Disney is a company we should talk about.
- 2:08Scott Woolley: Apple, maybe Chick-fil-A.
- 2:11Scott Woolley: And even Ritz Colton.
- 2:13Scott Woolley: They complete, they're all completely different businesses, but they all understand one important truth.
- 2:19Scott Woolley: People remember the experience much longer than they remember the product.
- 2:24TIffany Woolley: Why great experiences stand out?
- 2:27Scott Woolley: Yeah, let's talk about it.
- 2:29TIffany Woolley: Exactly.
- 2:29TIffany Woolley: It's funny because most businesses spend nearly all of their time thinking about what they're selling.
- 2:35TIffany Woolley: The menu, the room, the product, the service, the gadget, the thing, the widget.
- 2:42TIffany Woolley: But some of the most successful companies in the world spend just as much time thinking about how customers move through that experience.
- 2:50TIffany Woolley: Think of your favorite restaurant.
- 2:53TIffany Woolley: Chances are you don't remember every item that was on that menu.
- 2:57TIffany Woolley: But what you do remember is how you felt while you were there.
- 3:01Scott Woolley: That's such a good point.
- 3:02Scott Woolley: Some of the best experiences I've had had very little to do with the actual product.
- 3:08Scott Woolley: I've stayed in hotels where the rooms aren't that dramatically different from one hotel to the next, but the experience made me want to return.
- 3:18Scott Woolley: The staff knew my name, the check-in was easy, everything felt really smooth.
- 3:23Scott Woolley: That's where design becomes really interesting because some of the most important design is completely invisible, Tiffany.
- 3:32TIffany Woolley: I love that word, invisible.
- 3:34TIffany Woolley: I often say intentional.
- 3:36TIffany Woolley: The best experience often feels effortless because someone spent a tremendous amount of time removing problems before the customer ever encountered them.
- 3:47TIffany Woolley: The customer doesn't see the planning, they only experience the end result.
- 3:52Scott Woolley: And that's why people often describe those experiences as magical.
- 3:56Scott Woolley: Not just magic exists, but because all the hard work is hidden behind the curtain.
- 4:03Scott Woolley: When everything works seamlessly, it feels effortless.
- 4:07Scott Woolley: Let's talk about Disney, the Disney formula.
- 4:09Scott Woolley: I mean, okay.
- 4:10TIffany Woolley: Disney's a great place to start because if there's a company that's mastered the art of creating a memorable experience, it's Disney.
- 4:18TIffany Woolley: What's fascinating is that Disney isn't really selling rides.
- 4:23TIffany Woolley: They're selling memories, they're selling excitement, they're selling those family moments that you will remember for so many years.
- 4:31Scott Woolley: And every little detail supports that mission.
- 4:34Scott Woolley: The music, the landscape, I mean, the architecture, the cleanliness, you know, of the parks, the storytelling, and every and every little thing most people never consciously notice.
- 4:46Scott Woolley: Disney understands that the experience starts long before someone gets on a ride.
- 4:51Scott Woolley: The moment they arrive, I mean, the story begins.
- 4:54TIffany Woolley: One thing Disney does incredibly well is creating that anticipation, that excitement before you even get there.
- 5:02TIffany Woolley: You're excited walking through the gates, you're excited standing in line, imagine.
- 5:07TIffany Woolley: Every stage builds momentum.
- 5:10TIffany Woolley: And a lot of businesses focus on the transaction where Disney focuses on the journey.
- 5:16Scott Woolley: Exactly.
- 5:17Scott Woolley: They understand that people remember the entire experience, not just the main event.
- 5:22Scott Woolley: That's true whether you're running in the theme park or in a restaurant, in a design firm, or in a retail store.
- 5:31Scott Woolley: The customer experience starts long before the purchase and continues long after.
- 5:38TIffany Woolley: So let's talk about another store.
- 5:40Scott Woolley: Apple.
- 5:40TIffany Woolley: Apple.
- 5:41TIffany Woolley: So Apple's that fruit company, they completely changed what retail looks like.
- 5:47TIffany Woolley: Years ago, electronic stores were crowded, confusing, overwhelming, noisy.
- 5:53TIffany Woolley: Products were stacked everywhere, and finding help was never.
- 5:58TIffany Woolley: Yeah.
- 5:59TIffany Woolley: Or like in New York City, those stores.
- 6:02TIffany Woolley: But then Apple came along and they did something completely different.
- 6:06Scott Woolley: Yeah, they simplified everything.
- 6:07Scott Woolley: You walk into an Apple store and you immediately notice the difference.
- 6:10Scott Woolley: The space is open, the products are easy to understand, the staff's visible.
- 6:16Scott Woolley: There's very few distractions.
- 6:18Scott Woolley: The environment feels calm and organized, even though it's really busy.
- 6:23TIffany Woolley: And what's interesting is that Apple is reducing stress.
- 6:27TIffany Woolley: They want customers to feel confident, comfortable, and curious.
- 6:32TIffany Woolley: They're not overwhelming you with information.
- 6:35TIffany Woolley: They're just helping you stay focused on what you're there to look for.
- 6:38Scott Woolley: Yeah, and that's one of the biggest lessons in experience design.
- 6:43Scott Woolley: Great design removes friction.
- 6:46Scott Woolley: When people feel confused, frustrated, or overwhelmed, the experience suffers.
- 6:52Scott Woolley: When things feel simple and intuitive, people enjoy themselves much more.
- 6:59TIffany Woolley: Okay, let's talk about Chick-fil-A now.
- 7:02TIffany Woolley: Why do they continue to win all the time?
- 7:06TIffany Woolley: It's because they may be one of the most impressive examples of experience design in America.
- 7:13TIffany Woolley: They're selling chicken sandwiches, yes, in an incredibly competitive market.
- 7:18TIffany Woolley: Yet people constantly rank them among their favorite brands.
- 7:22Scott Woolley: And it's not just the food at Chick-fil-A, people remember the friendliness, the efficiency.
- 7:27Scott Woolley: That's the biggest one for me.
- 7:29Scott Woolley: And the cleanliness, the can can the consistency.
- 7:33Scott Woolley: Even when you drive through the line looks that looks almost impossible, they somehow keep things moving along.
- 7:39Scott Woolley: And it's always seems to be a long line, but they they somehow move.
- 7:43TIffany Woolley: Well, that's what I find so interesting is that even though that line is long, you assume it's going to be slow.
- 7:48TIffany Woolley: But at Chick-fil-A, you just know you're going to be in and out.
- 7:52TIffany Woolley: They'll probably move us through quick.
- 7:54TIffany Woolley: And that's a very important level of trust.
- 7:58Scott Woolley: Yeah, trust doesn't happen overnight.
- 8:00Scott Woolley: It's built through thousands of positive experiences over many years.
- 8:06Scott Woolley: Every interaction either strengthens or weaknesses a comfort company, you know, a customer's confidence in your brand.
- 8:14Scott Woolley: You know, Ritz Colton is another one that that's And that's luxury.
- 8:19TIffany Woolley: Luxury hotels, which is a huge example of what people are looking for when they want to feel really great.
- 8:27TIffany Woolley: When people stay at a Ritz, they simply know they're not just paying for a room.
- 8:32TIffany Woolley: They're paying for that experience.
- 8:34Scott Woolley: Yeah, and the room matters, but that's not the only part of the story.
- 8:38Scott Woolley: The greeting matters, the atmosphere matters, the service matters, the attention to detail matters, every interaction contributes to the overall feeling.
- 8:49TIffany Woolley: Yep, and you know that it's just going to be money well spent.
- 8:52TIffany Woolley: And what guests usually remember isn't the thread count of the sheets.
- 8:56TIffany Woolley: They remember how they were welcomed and how they felt.
- 9:00TIffany Woolley: They remember how special that interaction felt.
- 9:06Scott Woolley: That's because great luxury brands understand something important.
- 9:10Scott Woolley: Luxury is often less about things and more about emotions.
- 9:15Scott Woolley: People are buying a feeling.
- 9:17Scott Woolley: Design is in the details.
- 9:34Scott Woolley: Right.
- 9:35Scott Woolley: You know, no one visits Disney because of one flower bed.
- 9:39Scott Woolley: Nobody loves a hotel because of one lamp.
- 9:42Scott Woolley: Nobody becomes loyal to a restaurant because of the one menu design.
- 9:47Scott Woolley: It's the combination of hundreds of thoughtful decisions.
- 9:52TIffany Woolley: Exactly.
- 9:53TIffany Woolley: The lighting, the music, the signage, the cleanliness, the customer service, the ease of navigation.
- 10:00TIffany Woolley: Each piece contributes to that big picture.
- 10:04Scott Woolley: And when all these pieces are working together, people experience something that feels effortless.
- 10:09Scott Woolley: That's where memorable experiences are born.
- 10:13TIffany Woolley: And that's why people keep coming back.
- 10:16TIffany Woolley: Have you ever noticed that people often become loyal to an experience instead of a product?
- 10:22TIffany Woolley: There are restaurants, hotels, stores, and destinations people return to over and over again.
- 10:29Scott Woolley: You're right.
- 10:29Scott Woolley: And many times they're not the cheapest options.
- 10:32Scott Woolley: In fact, they might often be the most expensive or just expensive.
- 10:37Scott Woolley: But customers trust the experience.
- 10:39Scott Woolley: They know what they're going to get.
- 10:42TIffany Woolley: And that's incredibly valuable because when people trust the experience, they stop shopping based solely on price and they start choosing with a confidence.
- 10:52Scott Woolley: And all of this is all about the design and the confidence in one of the most powerful things a brand can create.
- 11:00Scott Woolley: People love certainty.
- 11:01Scott Woolley: People want to know they're going to get the same thing over and over.
- 11:05Scott Woolley: They love knowing that they're going to have a positive experience.
- 11:08Scott Woolley: Lessons for every business must think about redesigning and designing with effort.
- 11:14TIffany Woolley: And with intention.
- 11:15TIffany Woolley: So what can entrepreneurs, designers, and business owners learn from all of this?
- 11:21TIffany Woolley: First, stop focusing only on the product and start looking at the entire customer journey.
- 11:28Scott Woolley: Right.
- 11:28Scott Woolley: And second, identify friction points.
- 11:31Scott Woolley: Where are customers getting confused?
- 11:34Scott Woolley: Where are they becoming frustrated?
- 11:37Scott Woolley: Where are they waiting longer than necessary?
- 11:40Scott Woolley: Those are the opportunities to improve the experience.
- 11:45TIffany Woolley: And third, pay attention to details, not because any one detail changes everything, but because together the details create the overall impression.
- 11:55Scott Woolley: And finally, think about emotion.
- 11:57Scott Woolley: Ask yourself a simple question.
- 12:00Scott Woolley: How do you want people to feel after interacting with your business?
- 12:05Scott Woolley: That's often where the best ideas come from.
- 12:07TIffany Woolley: Exactly, for sure.
- 12:08TIffany Woolley: And maybe that's the real secret behind magical experiences.
- 12:12TIffany Woolley: They're not magical at all, they're intentional.
- 12:15Scott Woolley: Yeah, they're carefully designed.
- 12:17Scott Woolley: Every decision, every interaction, and every detail works together to create a feeling.
- 12:23TIffany Woolley: And when it's done well, customers don't even notice the design itself.
- 12:28TIffany Woolley: They simply enjoy the experience.
- 12:30Scott Woolley: And that's the beauty of great design.
- 12:33Scott Woolley: When you're working perfectly, it becomes more visible.
- 12:37TIffany Woolley: And yet it shapes how we feel, what we remember, and whether we will be coming back.
- 12:42Scott Woolley: Which is why some of the experiences stay with us for years while others are forgotten almost immediately.
- 12:48TIffany Woolley: Well, thanks for this great content today.
- 12:52TIffany Woolley: Come join us every week on the iDesign Lab Podcast.
- 12:56Scott Woolley: See you soon.
- 12:57Voice Over: iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW group production in association with the five star and TW interiors.
- 13:04Voice Over: To learn more about iDesign Lab or TW Interiors, please visit TWinteriors.com.