Balancing Efficiency and Meaning in Experiences
Customer experience has become the new battleground in our fast-paced, digital world. Gone are the days when offering a reliable product or exceptional service was enough. According to Salesforce, 84% percent of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. Companies must go above and beyond not only to win but also to retain customers.
Companies that fail to deliver risk losing loyal customers to competitors who understand the power of exceptional customer experiences. 86% of consumers would leave a brand after as few as two poor experiences. Two.
This wake-up call around designing and enabling exceptional experiences has led companies to do everything they can to ensure theirs are best-in-class. However, sadly, many businesses consider experience more of a “technology thing” rather than seeing experience as a comprehensive business strategy. The result of this line of thinking often means a hyper-focus on implementing technology and increasing efficiencies through delivering frictionless experiences.
But to deliver best-in-class solutions, companies must balance delivering efficient and meaningful experiences.
The Efficiency of Technology and Enabling Frictionless Experiences
Arthur C. Clarke famously said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Living in the 21st century, I’ve experienced this in countless ways. Carrying a thousand songs in my pocket. Adjusting the temperature from thousands of miles away to arrive at a warm home. Clicking a button and having an item at my doorstep within two days.
But competing on technology today is table stakes. It’s only a matter of time before competitors adopt and commoditize your unique approaches, features, and functions. Technology-focused changes usually scream, “We’re efficient,” “We’re digital,” and “We’re innovative.” And if a business can present itself in a new package or through a new service, the customer thinks, “Something has changed; this is better.” But sadly, the veneer usually is pretty thin.
“…it’s our temptation to always gravitate towards technology. And I think technology, one of the things it does, is it likes efficiency. It wants to find the fastest point between A and B. And the thing about human connection is it’s inefficient. And so what technology wants to do is to take the human connection off and out of something because that something can be inefficient.”
— Brian Chesky, Co-Founder and CEO, Airbnb
Over-optimizing on technology, algorithms, and efficiency leaves us with commodified, bland, and soulless—even reckless—results like these:
In architecture: The New York Times discusses the commoditization of architecture in America, the Bland. They highlight the rise of building 5-over-1s and label the trend “fast-casual architecture.”
In retail: Amazon Fresh stores allow customers to walk out without visiting a register. Yet customers call it “a soulless shopping experience. It’s quiet. And sterile. And the thousands of cameras hanging overhead give it an off-putting, Big Brother vibe.”
In technology: Amazon’s conversational UI (Alexa) attached to their Echo devices allows anyone to place an order. While efficient, ordering 45 kid Spiderman Walkie-Talkies, a hot tub, and 112 waterslides isn’t prudent for anyone. (As a parent, I wish this would be less efficient.)
In startups: launching a new company is so efficient that there’s a templatized sameness to so many. You can see how the rise of hip, undifferentiated direct-to-consumer (D2C) products is called into question in Bloomberg’s Welcome to Your Bland New World piece.
In human resources: Shopify banned all meetings with more than two people to reduce the cost of meetings. This is great for a PR stunt, but meetings are where people gather to gain new perspectives and ideate on big problems. Maybe the meeting(s) quality should be evaluated more than the cost.
In automotive: Tesla has gradually eliminated almost every physical control in its vehicles. The Model S traded buttons and stalks for capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel, even though it’s been proven that physical controls are easier to use without looking away from the road.
While optimizing for efficiency is a step in the right direction, it’s not enough. Left unchecked, efficiency alone cannot provide long-term returns without meaning. Most companies, unfortunately, haven’t developed the culture and muscle memory necessary to build meaningful experiences.
The Inefficiency of Human Connection and Enabling Meaningful Experiences
While efficiency and frictionless experiences aim to eliminate obstacles or difficulties, making interactions as efficient as possible, meaningful experiences go deeper, seeking to create emotional connections, foster engagement, and leave a lasting impact on people.
Meaningful experiences stem from genuine human connection, personal touches, and the opportunity to engage more deeply. These experiences transcend function, leaving lasting impressions that build loyalty and foster emotional attachments.
...let’s face it, technology in nearly all cases isn’t so transformative that it would simply replace the existing systems on its merits. Uber isn’t better than a good mass-transit system; Facebook isn’t better than actual friendship; YouTube videos aren’t better than quality entertainment; a neighborhood littered with Airbnbs isn’t better than a community-oriented one; a computerized learning plan isn’t better than a great teacher. They may be more efficient or easier to use or less expensive, but better? Not even close.
In a culture and era so focused on efficiency, it may sound counterintuitive to suggest that we consider inefficient ideas, solutions, and ways of interacting. But, we must embrace meaning as a counterweight to the technology we create and implement.
“Somewhere along the way to global domination, many of us in tech traded in the goal of the good life for an efficient life without even realizing it.”
— Geoff Lewis, Founder and Managing Partner, Bedrock Capital
Yes, efficiency leads to profitability, but when treated as the only goal, it undercuts what makes us human. People crave genuine engagement, personalized service, and a desire to be understood. Enabling meaningful experiences emphasizes personal touches, human interaction, and storytelling to evoke a sense of fulfillment and purpose.
“What the consumer wants from us is to make them feel good, and feeling good is not just about the product, it’s not just about giving them a great flight that’s on time. It’s about how they feel. And I increasingly think, as a CEO, my job is to change how people feel.”
— Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines
If we only strive for efficiency, we increasingly miss out on emotions like uncertainty, which means occasionally taking a wrong turn only to find a new or hidden surprise, like picking up a book we hadn’t expected. Later in his talk, Geoff Lewis remarks, “Sure, Google is a tool that improves lives. But the efficiency of search has made us forget the ancient joy of wandering through a library, not knowing what hidden knowledge we would ever discover deep within the stacks.”
Balancing Frictionless and Meaningful Experiences
Enabling great experiences isn’t one-sided. But that doesn’t mean it has to be abstract or out of reach, either. Here are three ways to lean into delivering meaning in concert with efficiency.
Develop an awareness of how you bring meaning.
This requires an understanding beyond what your organization does (e.g., financial planning software). You need to clearly articulate why you do it and what higher mission or purpose your organization serves (e.g., helping people and individuals on their path to growth).
Understand people’s unmet needs across their journey—not just the portion where you intersect. Go beyond imparting your department’s or company’s goals or technology upon them. Instead, start by understanding and empathizing with their goals. Then, identify ways that you can help them accomplish their goal with and without technology. Note opportunities along the way where you or your company could operate tomorrow to support a person’s goal more holistically.
Find ways to measure the intangible.
How many people did you make smile today? How did your company (or a specific employee) better someone’s life? How can you make your interactions memorable (e.g., making someone laugh, asking them about their day, etc.) Create a connection between your work and the satisfaction of another person or group to dive into people's real emotions and motivations.
Balancing efficient and meaningful experiences is a delicate art. Striking it requires thoughtful design, comprehensive research, and a focus on enabling interactions that create space for depth and substance.
If this resonates with you and you want to discuss creating meaningful experiences for people, drop me a note.