Experience & Excellence: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of Customer-First Companies

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.