In this episode, Ryan Hamilton and I dig into the invisible “scripts” that hold everyday customer experiences together—those unwritten psychological expectations about what happens next, what signals mean, and how both customers and employees coordinate without even thinking about it. The trouble is: when technology (like mobile payments, kiosks, or automation) changes the steps, it can quietly break the script—creating uncertainty, awkwardness, and friction that wasn’t there before. We explore why these scripts matter, how they differ by culture, and what leaders can do to help customers adopt new scripts without creating “prairie dog” moments.
Best Quote from the Episode
“A lot of customer experiences work because both sides know the script—until something changes and nobody knows what to do next.” Professor Ryan Hamilton


