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
Key Takeaways
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What “scripts” are you unknowingly relying on in your customer journey—and what happens when they break?
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If you introduce new tech, what clear “signal” replaces the old customer behavior that used to communicate intent?
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How are you designing for different adoption speeds—early adopters and customers who want the old way back?
Why You Should Listen
If you’re rolling out AI, automation, self-service, kiosks, or new payment methods, this episode will help you spot the hidden expectations that make experiences feel effortless—and show you how to redesign the cues and signals so customers don’t feel confused, awkward, or abandoned.
Resources Mentioned
Colin Shaw – https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinrjshaw/
Professor Ryan Hamilton – http://linkedin.com/in/ryan-hamilton-49b3321
Monty Python “haggling” clip (Life of Brian): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2iZjxSGca8
Our Workshops: https://beyondphilosophy.com/motivational-workshops/
About the Hosts:
Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn ‘Top Voice’ with a massive 286,000 followers and 87,000 subscribers to his ‘Why Customers Buy’ newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world’s ‘Top 150 Business Influencers’ by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast ‘The Intuitive Customer‘—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience. Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.
Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and co-author of ‘The Intuitive Customer’ book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants’ “World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40.” His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.
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