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Marginally Better

Marginally Better

By: Joe Taylor Jr.
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About this listen

 Marginally Better is a thought-provoking business podcast from Joe Taylor Jr., a Master Certified User Experience consultant and customer service veteran. It explores how investing in exceptional customer experiences drives sustainable growth and profitability.

Join Joe as he explores the intersection of business performance and customer satisfaction, revealing how companies can achieve what seems impossible: improving their margins by investing in customer experience.

Each episode explores triumphs and cautionary tales in customer experience, from industry giants to emerging disruptors. Through deep-dive analysis and compelling storytelling, Marginally Better examines how businesses navigate the delicate balance between innovation and customer needs in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or passionate about excellent customer experiences, Marginally Better delivers actionable strategies and thought-provoking perspectives on building businesses that truly put customers first. Thoughtful, engaging, and always focused on practical insights, Marginally Better is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of business, innovation, and customer experience.
2025 Economics Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • The Experience Revolution: From Broken Systems to Billion-Dollar Opportunities

    The Experience Revolution: From Broken Systems to Billion-Dollar Opportunities
    Jun 25 2025
    What do a $13 trillion market, a groundbreaking government initiative and viral customer service disasters have in common? They're all reshaping the future of customer experience. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores how accessibility, government innovation, and the delicate balance between UX and CX are redefining what it means to serve customers in the digital age. From Fortune 500 companies ignoring basic accessibility to New York’s bold move toward citizen-centric design, this episode offers powerful lessons on why designing for everyone isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business.

    Episode Links:
    • Forrester Research on Inclusive Design ROI.
    • CMSWire - Digital Accessibility Drives Customer Loyalty.
    • Baymard Institute Accessibility Statistics
    • Qorus Global - Chase Bank Accessibility Approach
    • GovTech - New York's Customer Experience Report
    • CX Dive Interview with Tonya Webster (November 2023)
    • New York Experience (NYX) Website
    • Nielsen Norman Group - UX vs CX
    • CMSWire - Bad Customer Service Examples

    Additional Resources:
    • Governor Hochul Announces Webster's Appointment (October 2023)
    • Digital Spy - Virgin Media Deceased Customer Bill
    • United Breaks Guitars (Wikipedia)
    • Marketplace - United Breaks Guitars Analysis
    • StateScoop - Meet NY's Chief Customer Experience Officer
    • HelpCrunch - Customer Service Horror Stories
    • Spokal - Social Media Customer Service Examples
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    20 mins
  • From Feedback to Fallout: What 2025 Teaches Us About Customer Experience

    From Feedback to Fallout: What 2025 Teaches Us About Customer Experience
    Jun 19 2025
    Why are customer loyalty scores plummeting—even when satisfaction metrics are strong? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the disconnect between Customer Experience data and tangible business results. From the surprising collapse of TGI Fridays to the 20% of companies connecting feedback to revenue, this episode unpacks what it really takes to drive customer retention in 2025. Plus, Joe shares a pivotal childhood lesson in user experience from his very first (and very failed) drive-thru business.

    Episode Links:
    • The Wall Street Journal explores how and why TGI Fridays fell.
    • Customer experience is trending downward, putting many brands in a vulnerable position. Forrester’s 2024 U.S. Customer Experience Index shows that overall CX quality has dropped to its lowest point on record.
    • Top 5 customer experience trends to watch in 2025.
    • Predictions of how CX will evolve and how we can lead the charge into the future.
    • Five steps to running the Wizard of Oz Method in UX.
    • How the first drive-thru at McDonald’s came to be.
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    21 mins
  • Experience & Excellence: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of Customer-First Companies

    Experience & Excellence: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of Customer-First Companies
    Jan 29 2025
    Join host Joe Taylor Jr. as he explores the fine line between customer experience triumphs and costly missteps. From Starbucks’ turnaround to Walgreens’ recent struggles, Joe breaks down what happens when businesses lose sight of what truly matters—delivering a great customer experience at its core. Tune in to hear how plexiglass barriers and impersonal service can drive customers away and why Zappos is still more than just a shoe store. Let’s take a sharp, insightful look at where companies go wrong and how they can course-correct before they lose touch with their customers.

    Episode Links

    • Explore what factors are at play when Walgreens shutters close to 1,200 stores over the next three years.
    • Find out just how badly the plexiglass move affected Walgreens.
    • Walgreens’ Executives admit that the shoplifting threat was ‘overstated’ as they grapple with the customer fallout.
    • Walgreens' CEO discusses the flip side of investing in increased security.
    • Cal Newport shares his TikTok experience.
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    22 mins
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