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Marginally Better

Marginally Better

By: Joe Taylor Jr.
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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.
2026 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • The Hidden Cost of Disengagement

    The Hidden Cost of Disengagement
    Jun 10 2026

    The Cost of Disengagement

    • Gallup — The World’s $8.8 Trillion Workplace Problem (State of the Global Workplace)


    Employee Experience Drives Customer Experience

    • Glassdoor Research — The Link Between Glassdoor Reviews and Customer Satisfaction (Chamberlain & Zhao)
    • Harvard Business Review — Engaged Employees Create Better Customer Experiences (April 2023)
    • Harvard Business Review Analytic Services — The Impact of Employee Engagement on Customer Experience (report PDF)


    Costco Case Study

    • CFO Dive — Costco raises minimum hourly wage to $19.50
    • Macrotrends — Costco (COST) Market Cap
    • The Motley Fool — Jim Sinegal on Costco’s “Promote From Within” Strategy
    • Yahoo Finance — Nine Out of Ten Costco Members Renew
    • A-Z Quotes — James Sinegal: “When employees are happy, they are your very best ambassadors”


    Products Mentioned

    • Experience Helpdesk
    • Website Reality Check
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    20 mins
  • The True Cost of Bad Customer Experience

    The True Cost of Bad Customer Experience
    May 13 2026
    What do a billion-dollar retail collapse, a broken app, and an abandoned shopping cart have in common? They’re all part of the same hidden bill, and most companies don’t realize they’re paying it until it’s too late.

    In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. breaks down the true cost of bad customer experience. Not as isolated mistakes, but as a slow, compounding erosion of trust that quietly drains revenue, loyalty, and brand value. From JCPenney’s infamous pricing overhaul to Domino’s brutally honest turnaround, this episode reveals a simple truth: the most expensive decisions businesses make are often the ones they never test—and the ones their customers never forgive.

    Episode Links:
    • Forrester: US Customer Experience Index 2024 — A Quality Crisis
    • Fast Company - CX scores hit a low, Forrester reports
    • Sonos app redesign timeline
    • Sonos warns of app remediation costs
    • Baymard Institute - 49 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics
    • J.C. Penney’s “Fair and Square” Pricing Strategy
    • Understanding J.C. Penney’s Risky New Pricing Strategy
    • Was Ron Johnson right?
    • NPR — His Makeover Strategy In Shambles, J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson Is Out
    • J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson out after troubled tenure
    • 5 Critical Errors That Triggered Ron Johnson’s Removal at JC Penney
    • Washington Post — J.C. Penney files for bankruptcy (May 15 2020)
    • Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle: Tech with a side of pizza (Kai Ryssdal interview, Sep 25 2015)
    • Restaurant Business Online — How Patrick Doyle changed Domino’s, and the restaurant industry
    • J. Patrick Doyle (career summary, with cited sources)





    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • The Repair Relationship Revolution

    The Repair Relationship Revolution
    Apr 29 2026
    A century ago, companies deliberately made products that wouldn’t last. Today, that model is being dismantled—by regulators, by consumers, and by a new generation of businesses built around repair, not replacement.In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the repair relationship revolution—from sweeping right-to-repair laws reshaping global manufacturing to companies like Framework and Lodge building loyalty through products designed to last. It’s a story about more than hardware—it’s about how fixing what’s broken can create stronger customer relationships than replacing what works, and why the future belongs to businesses that design for longevity, trust, and connection.Episode Links:Wikipedia — Phoebus cartelThe Great Lightbulb ConspiracyLightbulb Cartel a Dark Spot in Lighting HistoryOregon Passes Right to Repair Law: First to Ban Parts PairingOregon Legislature passes Right to Repair bill after four-year student effortOregon Legislature — SB 1596 Final Text (Chapter 69, 2024 Laws)Common rules promoting the repair of goodsIncoming EU right to repair requirements: The key things every global manufacturer should knowEuropean Parliament — Right to repair: the EU's actions to make repairs more attractiveRight to Repair Europe — The state of Right to Repair in 2026Apple Support — Self Service RepairApple to expand repair options with support for used genuine parts (April 2024)AppleInsider — Apple expands Self Service Repair to iPhone 17 lineupAppleInsider — iPhone 17e & M4 iPad Air parts now on Self Service Repair StoreThe Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR / ITU)As electronic waste surges, countries look for answerGlobal E-waste Statistics PartnershipFramework's Series A-1 and Community ParticipationFramework raises $18m to move beyond modular laptopFramework Raises $18M In New FundingPitchBook — Framework Computer 2026 Company ProfileWikipedia — Framework ComputerPCWorld — Framework Laptop 16 reviewTechSpot — Framework Laptop 16 (2025) Pros and ConsEverything Framework Just Revealed at Its 2026 Modular Laptop EventFive Years of FrameworkLodge Cast Iron — About LodgeA Seasoned Family BusinessThe Bitter Southerner — Lodge Cast IronLodge Foundry in South Pittsburg Cooks up an American IconAfter 123 Years, Lodge Cast Iron is Still Family-OwnedLodge Manufacturing Investing $56M In South Pittsburg, TN ExpansionLodge Manufacturing Company to Expand Marion County OperationsWikipedia — Service Recovery ParadoxService Recovery Paradox: A Meta-Analysis (de Matos, Henrique, Rossi 2007)From service failure to brand loyalty: evidence of service recovery paradox (2025)
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
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