Apr
12
“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely
“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely – If you have ever wondered how consumers make decisions this is a must read. There are several examples–Starbucks, Coke, Duke basketball tickets, healthcare–all focus in on decision drivers that will turn your world upside down.
I fell into that category. Consumer relationships and treatment is top-of-mind. His observation; “You can’t treat your consumers like family then treat them impersonally.” McDonald’s is a case in point. They have thousands of relationship programs. So much the better–as long we don’t go into their stores or drive-thru’s. The consumer becomes a commodity. In the drive-thru’s it even worse. I realize that speed and accuracy are the most important attributes in the drive-thru channel. That fights against the relationship idea. There are several ways to demonstrate that they care about their customers. I am sure they would dispute this–it is easy to dismiss out of hand. That doesn’t surprise me.