The goal of "always-on" engagement is a seamless, contextual relationship. The best model is interacting with a friend: you can switch from text to a phone call, and they'll remember the context and anticipate your needs. This is the new standard AI should enable for brands.

In an era of mass automation, customers notice and value actions they know can't be easily scaled. Instead of another automated email, send a personal video via text, a handwritten note, or "lumpy mail." These high-effort signals cut through the noise and show genuine appreciation.

A bespoke tailor is expected to provide luxury service; it's table stakes. However, a tire shop or contractor that delivers the same level of care and proactivity creates a far more powerful differentiator because it shatters customer expectations, driving powerful word-of-mouth.

Brainstorming cannot reveal the true friction in your customer experience. Following JetBlue's example, leaders must regularly become their own customers. This practice uncovers how high-level decisions inadvertently create flaws in the customer journey that are invisible from the boardroom.

Product 'taste' is often narrowly defined as aesthetics. A better analogy is a restaurant: great food (visuals) is necessary but not sufficient. Taste encompasses the entire end-to-end user journey, from being greeted at the door to paying the check. Every interaction must feel crafted and delightful.

Systematically identify frustrating moments in the customer journey, like waiting for the check. Instead of just minimizing the pain, reinvent these moments to be delightful. Guidara’s example of offering a complimentary bottle of cognac with the bill turns a negative into a generous, memorable gesture.

Delight goes beyond surface-level features. It's about creating products that solve practical problems while also addressing users' emotional states, like reducing stress or creating joy. This is achieved by removing friction, anticipating needs, and exceeding expectations.

You cannot command a high price if the customer's experience feels low-value. Every touchpoint—from the technician's uniform and vehicle condition to the dispatcher's tone—must align. A mismatch in this "vibe check" makes a high price feel unjustified and shocking.

AI can turn a potentially negative customer experience into a welcoming one by seamlessly removing friction. An airport parking gate that recognizes a license plate and opens automatically transforms a moment of potential anger into a feeling of being recognized and valued, which is a powerful form of brand building.