#NoBullshitCX #20yearsFuturelab
“Cut down mental effort.”
Last week was my birthday. One of the gifts I received was a book–not written by my favourite author but recommended by him. My To Be Read stack is rather large, and it’s only growing, but that does not stop me from getting more books*. I do not stop there. I also want to watch every series, listen to every new album, visit every city, and try every food on the planet.
Unfortunately, there is not enough time and too much choice. And choices are difficult. We know by now that decision making is actual work that brains do not necessarily enjoy, because it requires too many resources without clear benefits. “Easy to choose” is a currency of the 21st century, and a moving goal post for many CX initiatives. Not only do recommendations cut down on the mental effort, but they also enrich our experiences because they make things relatable. And through my years (ahem, decades maybe) of work with B2B companies, I know that even the decisions that look like rational are in fact very emotion based. And while I definitely do not recommend the “Would you recommend” question as the only customer metric, I still think striving to deliver great experiences that can create shareable stories is the goal of any CX programme.
What’s your stance on recommendation?
* And anyway, book buying is a different hobby from book reading and book gifting, if you know what I mean.
