Jay Baer : The Baer Facts

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣1️⃣1️⃣

2025-12-03T22:00:49-05:00

Issue 111: It IS Possible to Be Fast and Good

Starbucks is back to embracing humanity:

When AI gives you back 25% of your capacity, what will you do with that time:

🎁 Jay's Faves

Not sure how I missed it when it debuted five weeks ago, but I caught Roofman on Amazon Prime last weekend.

Great cast and an interesting (true) story about an escaped convict with a good heart who secretly lives in a Toys R Us. Fun, funny, heartwarming.

Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst are excellent in this one!

Officially launching on Monday, but you get first crack at my brand-new signature single barrel tequila, produced by the excellent craft tequila brand La Pulga. FREE SHIPPING when you buy 2 or more with code BAER.

My business partner (and editor of The Baer Facts) Maddie Jager and myself designed this delightful batch. Aged 16 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels, it has notes of caramel, orange, and herbs.

It's over-proof at 47.5% ABV, but you'd never know it. Dangerously delicious! Buy two and get free shipping with code BAER! But hurry. We only made 244 bottles, and they will go fast.

📖 Book Report

Time IS Money. I wrote an entire book (well, a very short book) about it, based on a ton of proprietary research.

2/3 of customers say that speed is now as important as price. But, do you run your own business as if that were the case? In The Time to Win: How to Exceed Customers' Need for Speed I give you a six-piece framework to boost speed and responsiveness, delighting B2B and B2C consumers.

We're moving inventory from one warehouse to another, so I'm giving you the best deal ever on The Time to Win.

Three copies of this best-selling mini-book (you can read it in less than an hour) for just $17.95.

💨 It IS Possible to be Fast and Good

Pal's Sudden Service is a restaurant chain in Tennessee. They have 31 locations. Yet, they don't compete on the basis of food.

They compete on the basis of SPEED.

If any business epitomizes the principles of my book The Time to Win it's Pal's.

Yes, Pal's is in the fast food business (primarily drive-thru) but they redefine what fast can be.

On average, their customers get their food in 35 SECONDS. That includes the entire process: ordering, pulling up, paying, getting food, driving off. It's called the "bumper-to-bumper" time in the industry.

What's the second-fastest chain? Taco Bell. Average bumper-to-bumper time? 256 seconds. That's right, Pal's is 7 TIMES FASTER than their closest competitor.

So Pal's isn't just trying to be a little faster, they put speed at the center of everything they do. That delights customers, and therefore allows them to dramatically out-perform competitors.

Average revenue per square foot: Pal's $2,500. McDonald's $600.

When I talk about speed and responsiveness on stage, I'm often met with this objection:

"Jay, yes we can get faster in our company. We understand what you're saying about Time = Money. But if we focus on speed, our quality will go down, and we'll actually disappoint customers instead of delighting them."

You've probably heard the maxim: Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick Any Two. Most of us believe it to be true.

But it doesn't HAVE to be true.

Of course, it isn't EASY to be both fast and good. If it were easy, you'd already be doing it. If it were easy, your competitors would already be doing it. If it were easy, you couldn't seize and sustain an advantage by being both fast and good.

The difficulty is what makes it worth doing.

Look at Pal's.

Clearly the fastest. But also....the best.

The average across all quick service restaurants is one mistake in drive-thru every 15 cars. At Pal's it's one mistake every 3,200 cars!

How? They've build the enterprise around delighting customers with speed and accuracy. Face-to-face ordering (no speakers), to eliminate misunderstandings. Limited menu. And an incredible training program.

Each Pal's team member undergoes 120 hours of training before they ever work a shift.

When I worked at McDonald's (my first job, in 1984) it felt like training was about 15 minutes, total.

To increase revenue and profits you need to keep your customers coming back and get them to tell their friends.

Being more responsive that they expect is one of the very best ways to do so, because all of us care about time (and how we spend it) more than we did even a few years ago.

But you can't just try to take your existing processes and make them a tiny bit better. You need to reexamine how you interact internally and externally and redesign where needed to get faster (and better).

If you haven't started down this path, I very much suggest you do so at the beginning of the year. Many, many organizations are starting to embrace this concept of winning with responsiveness.

I hope you'll join Pal's (and other businesses) that believe you CAN be both fast and good.

🔥 Burning Question

WOW! Struck a nerve. Of all the questions I've ever asked here, you sent in more responses about your first car than any other. I truly enjoyed your stories, thank you.

Very difficult to pick but the winner is Jesse Fincannon with this evocative tale:

I had an '89 Ford Tempo. I bought it used and the owner before me broke the drivers seat.

So to keep it propped up, I had a piece of plywood and a plastic milk crate in-between the drivers seat and the back seat.

Passengers had to climb in from the passenger side to sit behind the drivers seat. A system of calling out your seat developed.

Of course front passenger seat was "shotgun". In the back there was "window," (behind shotgun), and the dreaded "crate"!

I can see it clearly in my mind, Jesse. Bravo. Send me a note with your address, and I'll get you tequila and a book.

🏁 That's All, Folks!

After 111 issues, this is the final edition of The Baer Facts.

I very much appreciate your time and your interest in this little newsletter. It's been an absolute joy creating it for you across the past five years.

Now, it's time to create something new. Not entirely sure what that'll be just yet, but you'll be the first to know when I get it figured.

Meanwhile, you can find me at JayBaer.com, and my amazing agent Michelle Joyce is busy booking 2026 presentations. Holler if I can help you!

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣1️⃣1️⃣

2025-12-03T21:50:21-05:00

Issue 111: It IS Possible to Be Fast and Good

Starbucks is back to embracing humanity:

When AI gives you back 25% of your capacity, what will you do with that time:

🎁 Jay's Faves

Not sure how I missed it when it debuted five weeks ago, but I caught Roofman on Amazon Prime last weekend.

Great cast and an interesting (true) story about an escaped convict with a good heart who secretly lives in a Toys R Us. Fun, funny, heartwarming.

Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst are excellent in this one!

My business partner (and editor of The Baer Facts) Maddie Jager and myself designed this delightful batch. Aged 16 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels, it has notes of caramel, orange, and herbs.

It's over-proof at 47.5% ABV, but you'd never know it. Dangerously delicious! Buy two and get free shipping with code BAER! But hurry. We only made 244 bottles, and they will go fast.

📖 Book Report

Time IS Money. I wrote an entire book (well, a very short book) about it, based on a ton of proprietary research.

We're moving inventory from one warehouse to another, so I'm giving you the best deal ever on The Time to Win.

Three copies of this best-selling mini-book (you can read it in less than an hour) for just $17.95.

💨 It IS Possible to be Fast and Good

Pal's Sudden Service is a restaurant chain in Tennessee. They have 31 locations. Yet, they don't compete on the basis of food.

They compete on the basis of SPEED.

If any business epitomizes the principles of my book The Time to Win it's Pal's.

Yes, Pal's is in the fast food business (primarily drive-thru) but they redefine what fast can be.

What's the second-fastest chain? Taco Bell. Average bumper-to-bumper time? 256 seconds. That's right, Pal's is 7 TIMES FASTER than their closest competitor.

So Pal's isn't just trying to be a little faster, they put speed at the center of everything they do. That delights customers, and therefore allows them to dramatically out-perform competitors.

Average revenue per square foot: Pal's $2,500. McDonald's $600.

When I talk about speed and responsiveness on stage, I'm often met with this objection:

You've probably heard the maxim: Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick Any Two. Most of us believe it to be true.

But it doesn't HAVE to be true.

The difficulty is what makes it worth doing.

Look at Pal's.

Clearly the fastest. But also....the best.

The average across all quick service restaurants is one mistake in drive-thru every 15 cars. At Pal's it's one mistake every 3,200 cars!

Each Pal's team member undergoes 120 hours of training before they ever work a shift.

When I worked at McDonald's (my first job, in 1984) it felt like training was about 15 minutes, total.

To increase revenue and profits you need to keep your customers coming back and get them to tell their friends.

Being more responsive that they expect is one of the very best ways to do so, because all of us care about time (and how we spend it) more than we did even a few years ago.

If you haven't started down this path, I very much suggest you do so at the beginning of the year. Many, many organizations are starting to embrace this concept of winning with responsiveness.

I hope you'll join Pal's (and other businesses) that believe you CAN be both fast and good.

🔥 Burning Question

WOW! Struck a nerve. Of all the questions I've ever asked here, you sent in more responses about your first car than any other. I truly enjoyed your stories, thank you.

Very difficult to pick but the winner is Jesse Fincannon with this evocative tale:

I had an '89 Ford Tempo. I bought it used and the owner before me broke the drivers seat.

So to keep it propped up, I had a piece of plywood and a plastic milk crate in-between the drivers seat and the back seat.

Passengers had to climb in from the passenger side to sit behind the drivers seat. A system of calling out your seat developed.

Of course front passenger seat was "shotgun". In the back there was "window," (behind shotgun), and the dreaded "crate"!

I can see it clearly in my mind, Jesse. Bravo. Send me a note with your address, and I'll get you tequila and a book.

🏁 That's All, Folks!

After 111 issues, this is the final edition of The Baer Facts.

I very much appreciate your time and your interest in this little newsletter. It's been an absolute joy creating it for you across the past five years.

Now, it's time to create something new. Not entirely sure what that'll be just yet, but you'll be the first to know when I get it figured.

Meanwhile, you can find me at JayBaer.com, and my amazing agent Michelle Joyce is busy booking 2026 presentations. Holler if I can help you!

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣1️⃣1️⃣

2025-12-03T21:36:34-05:00

Issue 111: It IS Possible to Be Fast and Good

Starbucks is back to embracing humanity:

When AI gives you back 25% of your capacity, what will you do with that time:

🎁 Jay's Faves

Not sure how I missed it when it debuted five weeks ago, but I caught Roofman on Amazon Prime last weekend.

Great cast and an interesting (true) story about an escaped convict with a good heart who secretly lives in a Toys R Us. Fun, funny, heartwarming.

Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst are excellent in this one!

My business partner (and editor of The Baer Facts) Maddie Jager and myself designed this delightful batch. Aged 16 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels, it has notes of caramel, orange, and herbs.

It's over-proof at 47.5% ABV, but you'd never know it. Dangerously delicious! Buy two and get free shipping with code BAER! But hurry. We only made 244 bottles, and they will go fast.

📖 Book Report

Time IS Money. I wrote an entire book (well, a very short book) about it, based on a ton of proprietary research.

We're moving inventory from one warehouse to another, so I'm giving you the best deal ever on The Time to Win.

Three copies of this best-selling mini-book (you can read it in less than an hour) for just $17.95.

💨 It IS Possible to be Fast and Good

Pal's Sudden Service is a restaurant chain in Tennessee. They have 31 locations. Yet, they don't compete on the basis of food.

They compete on the basis of SPEED.

If any business epitomizes the principles of my book The Time to Win it's Pal's.

Yes, Pal's is in the fast food business (primarily drive-thru) but they redefine what fast can be.

What's the second-fastest chain? Taco Bell. Average bumper-to-bumper time? 256 seconds. That's right, Pal's is 7 TIMES FASTER than their closest competitor.

So Pal's isn't just trying to be a little faster, they put speed at the center of everything they do. That delights customers, and therefore allows them to dramatically out-perform competitors.

Average revenue per square foot: Pal's $2,500. McDonald's $600.

When I talk about speed and responsiveness on stage, I'm often met with this objection:

You've probably heard the maxim: Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick Any Two. Most of us believe it to be true.

But it doesn't HAVE to be true.

The difficulty is what makes it worth doing.

Look at Pal's.

Clearly the fastest. But also....the best.

The average across all quick service restaurants is one mistake in drive-thru every 15 cars. At Pal's it's one mistake every 3,200 cars!

Each Pal's team member undergoes 120 hours of training before they ever work a shift.

When I worked at McDonald's (my first job, in 1984) it felt like training was about 15 minutes, total.

To increase revenue and profits you need to keep your customers coming back and get them to tell their friends.

Being more responsive that they expect is one of the very best ways to do so, because all of us care about time (and how we spend it) more than we did even a few years ago.

If you haven't started down this path, I very much suggest you do so at the beginning of the year. Many, many organizations are starting to embrace this concept of winning with responsiveness.

I hope you'll join Pal's (and other businesses) that believe you CAN be both fast and good.

🔥 Burning Question

WOW! Struck a nerve. Of all the questions I've ever asked here, you sent in more responses about your first car than any other. I truly enjoyed your stories, thank you.

Very difficult to pick but the winner is Jesse Fincannon with this evocative tale:

I had an '89 Ford Tempo. I bought it used and the owner before me broke the drivers seat.

So to keep it propped up, I had a piece of plywood and a plastic milk crate in-between the drivers seat and the back seat.

Passengers had to climb in from the passenger side to sit behind the drivers seat. A system of calling out your seat developed.

Of course front passenger seat was "shotgun". In the back there was "window," (behind shotgun), and the dreaded "crate"!

I can see it clearly in my mind, Jesse. Bravo. Send me a note with your address, and I'll get you tequila and a book.

🏁 That's All, Folks!

After 111 issues, this is the final edition of The Baer Facts.

I very much appreciate your time and your interest in this little newsletter. It's been an absolute joy creating it for you across the past five years.

Now, it's time to create something new. Not entirely sure what that'll be just yet, but you'll be the first to know when I get it figured.

Meanwhile, you can find me at JayBaer.com, and my amazing agent Michelle Joyce is busy booking 2026 presentations. Holler if I can help you!

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣🔟

2025-11-19T21:05:20-05:00

Issue 110: The Persuasive Power of Planned Imperfection

Will you help me, please?

It's time for the annual customer experience Global Gurus voting. I've been on this list for many years, and I'd hate to get kicked off of it!

Take 9 seconds (max, seriously) right now?

1️⃣ visit this web page

2️⃣ enter your name and email

3️⃣ click on my face and click vote at the bottom

✅ Thank you!

🎁 Jay's Faves

Pluribus has been getting a lot of press, so it's existence is unlikely to be news to you.

This new streaming series on Apple TV+ from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan is a RIDE. It's an expert mix of light sci-fi, mystery, and comedy.

Today, it's rare that you get a fully unique, totally fleshed-out premise in television. But there's never been a show quite like this.

Give it a look if you haven't.

📖 Book Report

I hate most self-improvement books. Too much fluffy BS.

I love this one.

My friend Alan Stein, Jr. is an incredible performance coach and his newest Next Play: How to Focus on What Matters Most is so good because it provides 30+ practical, tactical, achievable instructions, all wrapped up in a "focus on now, not before or after" philosophy.

If you care about productivity and happiness, grab this one now.

👺 The Persuasive Power of Planned Imperfection

What the FUGG?

I recently discovered Fugglers (fun, ugly, monsters).

It's a collection of limited-edition, intentionally hideous stuffed creatures.

Fugglers are gaining massive global popularity. They were invented 15 years ago, but just this year sales grew 247%, and they are now distributed in 50 countries. And they rack up hundreds of millions of social media impressions.

But how? After all, by their own admission, they are UGLY.

Fugglers are a very visual example of the principle of Planned Imperfection.

Perfection is often boring. Imperfection conversely, is often fascinating. Hence why we slow down to ogle a car crash, but zip on by when nothing is amiss.

You can use this principle to your advantage.

My friend Charlie Plumb, the legendary fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and motivational speaker, once told me how he uses this technique in every presentation.

Because Charlie tells his own story in his talks, he certainly knows the material perfectly after having delivered it many hundreds of times.

Thus, in each presentation he intentionally inserts a mistake (wrong word, story sequence, or other misstep. Nothing major, just enough for him to have to quickly "apologize" to the crowd).

This makes him all the more relatable, and gives the audience the impression that the presentation isn't a rote recitation.

Even though my presentations are very customized to each event, I also use Planned Imperfection in nearly every program. I learned it from Charlie. If you've seen me onstage and think you can guess what it is, reply and let me know!

Sometimes in a presentation I'll talk about what just might be my favorite consumer psychology factoid, and it ties back perfectly to Planned Imperfection:

Customers who have a problem that you solve are more loyal, and spend more money, than customers who never had a problem at all.

Isn't that amazing?

Your ability to "fix it" is far more powerful and persuasive than your ability to just do it right all the time.

As an amateur Machiavellian, this makes me wonder "What can I get "wrong" knowing I can solve it, and therefore trigger this powerful psychology?"

Perhaps that's something for you to consider in your own business?

Certainly, it's a bit of a high wire act, no? You don't want to lean TOO far into Planned Imperfection, lest the "mistake" be grave enough that your "fix" isn't satisfactory.

And of course, if you're going to make an intentional mistake - or create a global line of monstrous stuffed toys - you better know how you're going to make it work BEFORE you start down the path of purposeful missteps.

Let me know what you think of this approach, will you?

🔥 Burning Question

As always, best answer wins a signed book + tequila.

Just hit reply on this email. Your answers go only to me, personally.

What was your first car, and tell me one interesting thing about it.

For me: 1976 Chevy Nova with an in-dash 8-track player. Most interesting? The entire interior was red VELOUR.

Yes, I'm sure my youthful business partner and The Baer Facts editor Maddie Jager just had to look up "8-track player" 😂

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣🔟

2025-11-19T20:35:23-05:00

Issue 110: The Persuasive Power of Planned Imperfection

Will you help me, please?

It's time for the annual customer experience Global Gurus voting. I've been on this list for many years, and I'd hate to get kicked off of it!

Take 9 seconds (max, seriously) right now?

1️⃣ visit this web page

2️⃣ enter your name and email

3️⃣ click on my face and click vote at the bottom

✅ Thank you!

🎁 Jay's Faves

Pluribus has been getting a lot of press, so it's existence is unlikely to be news to you.

This new streaming series on Apple TV+ from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan is a RIDE. It's an expert mix of light sci-fi, mystery, and comedy.

Today, it's rare that you get a fully unique, totally fleshed-out premise in television. But there's never been a show quite like this.

Give it a look if you haven't.

📖 Book Report

I hate most self-improvement books. Too much fluffy BS.

I love this one.

If you care about productivity and happiness, grab this one now.

👺 The Persuasive Power of Planned Imperfection

What the FUGG?

I recently discovered Fugglers (fun, ugly, monsters).

It's a collection of limited-edition, intentionally hideous stuffed creatures.

But how? After all, by their own admission, they are UGLY.

Fugglers are a very visual example of the principle of Planned Imperfection.

Perfection is often boring. Imperfection conversely, is often fascinating. Hence why we slow down to ogle a car crash, but zip on by when nothing is amiss.

You can use this principle to your advantage.

My friend Charlie Plumb, the legendary fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and motivational speaker, once told me how he uses this technique in every presentation.

Because Charlie tells his own story in his talks, he certainly knows the material perfectly after having delivered it many hundreds of times.

Thus, in each presentation he intentionally inserts a mistake (wrong word, story sequence, or other misstep. Nothing major, just enough for him to have to quickly "apologize" to the crowd).

This makes him all the more relatable, and gives the audience the impression that the presentation isn't a rote recitation.

Sometimes in a presentation I'll talk about what just might be my favorite consumer psychology factoid, and it ties back perfectly to Planned Imperfection:

Customers who have a problem that you solve are more loyal, and spend more money, than customers who never had a problem at all.

Isn't that amazing?

Your ability to "fix it" is far more powerful and persuasive than your ability to just do it right all the time.

As an amateur Machiavellian, this makes me wonder "What can I get "wrong" knowing I can solve it, and therefore trigger this powerful psychology?"

Perhaps that's something for you to consider in your own business?

Certainly, it's a bit of a high wire act, no? You don't want to lean TOO far into Planned Imperfection, lest the "mistake" be grave enough that your "fix" isn't satisfactory.

Let me know what you think of this approach, will you?

🔥 Burning Question

As always, best answer wins a signed book + tequila.

Just hit reply on this email. Your answers go only to me, personally.

What was your first car, and tell me one interesting thing about it.

For me: 1976 Chevy Nova with an in-dash 8-track player. Most interesting? The entire interior was red VELOUR.

Yes, I'm sure my youthful business partner and The Baer Facts editor Maddie Jager just had to look up "8-track player" 😂

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣🔟

2025-11-19T20:05:16-05:00

Issue 110: The Persuasive Power of Planned Imperfection

Will you help me, please?

It's time for the annual customer experience Global Gurus voting. I've been on this list for many years, and I'd hate to get kicked off of it!

Take 9 seconds (max, seriously) right now?

1️⃣ visit this web page

2️⃣ enter your name and email

3️⃣ click on my face and click vote at the bottom

✅ Thank you!

🎁 Jay's Faves

Pluribus has been getting a lot of press, so it's existence is unlikely to be news to you.

This new streaming series on Apple TV+ from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan is a RIDE. It's an expert mix of light sci-fi, mystery, and comedy.

Today, it's rare that you get a fully unique, totally fleshed-out premise in television. But there's never been a show quite like this.

Give it a look if you haven't.

📖 Book Report

I hate most self-improvement books. Too much fluffy BS.

I love this one.

If you care about productivity and happiness, grab this one now.

👺 The Persuasive Power of Planned Imperfection

What the FUGG?

I recently discovered Fugglers (fun, ugly, monsters).

It's a collection of limited-edition, intentionally hideous stuffed creatures.

But how? After all, by their own admission, they are UGLY.

Fugglers are a very visual example of the principle of Planned Imperfection.

Perfection is often boring. Imperfection conversely, is often fascinating. Hence why we slow down to ogle a car crash, but zip on by when nothing is amiss.

You can use this principle to your advantage.

My friend Charlie Plumb, the legendary fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and motivational speaker, once told me how he uses this technique in every presentation.

Because Charlie tells his own story in his talks, he certainly knows the material perfectly after having delivered it many hundreds of times.

Thus, in each presentation he intentionally inserts a mistake (wrong word, story sequence, or other misstep. Nothing major, just enough for him to have to quickly "apologize" to the crowd).

This makes him all the more relatable, and gives the audience the impression that the presentation isn't a rote recitation.

Sometimes in a presentation I'll talk about what just might be my favorite consumer psychology factoid, and it ties back perfectly to Planned Imperfection:

Customers who have a problem that you solve are more loyal, and spend more money, than customers who never had a problem at all.

Isn't that amazing?

Your ability to "fix it" is far more powerful and persuasive than your ability to just do it right all the time.

As an amateur Machiavellian, this makes me wonder "What can I get "wrong" knowing I can solve it, and therefore trigger this powerful psychology?"

Perhaps that's something for you to consider in your own business?

Certainly, it's a bit of a high wire act, no? You don't want to lean TOO far into Planned Imperfection, lest the "mistake" be grave enough that your "fix" isn't satisfactory.

Let me know what you think of this approach, will you?

🔥 Burning Question

As always, best answer wins a signed book + tequila.

Just hit reply on this email. Your answers go only to me, personally.

What was your first car, and tell me one interesting thing about it.

For me: 1976 Chevy Nova with an in-dash 8-track player. Most interesting? The entire interior was red VELOUR.

Yes, I'm sure my youthful business partner and The Baer Facts editor Maddie Jager just had to look up "8-track player" 😂

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣0️⃣9️⃣

2025-11-05T21:31:09-05:00

Issue 109: Are Your Customers' Expectations Unfair?

At last week’s keynotes, several people asked me about AI agents and whether customers want or are ready for them?

Eventually, YES! What AI agents can do is ASTONISHING compared to even nine months ago.

But you may not know HOW these agents get built, HOW they interface with humans, and HOW they integrate with CX platforms.

My friends at NICE are doing a jam-packed, 60-minute, live session on November 12 at 11am Eastern.

It’s called Unleash AI. Reimagine CX. And you should tune in. No cost.

You’ll get specific advice and counsel from Adidas execs, former Google AI execs, and the team from NICE Cognigy.

I’m particularly excited to see real-world AI agents in action, solving customer problems.

This’ll be 60 minutes worth your time, from one of the recognized global leaders in the AI and CX convergence. See you there!

🎤 New talk is ready for you!

Big thanks to you for tuning in to the big reveal of my new keynote presentation:

Human.Kind: How to Keep it Real and Win in the Age of AI

If you couldn't make it, here's the recording

🎁 Jay's Faves

Decaf coffee is terrible.

But not anymore!

My good friend Brad Wisler just launched Freestyle Decaf, a service that sends the world's best-tasting, high-quality decaf coffee right to your door.

It's outstanding!

📖 Book Report

Sometimes, the right book comes along at JUST the right time.

My pal David Horsager published Trust Matters More Than Ever last year (coincidentally, on election day).

I'd argue trust matters even more now than it did a year ago. And the book is just as vital and useful. Absolute must-read for leaders and managers in any category of business.

‼️ Are Your Customers' Expectations Unfair?

In my journeys, I often encounter leaders, particularly front-line leaders, who are exasperated by the increasingly high expectations of customers today.

Their exasperation is well-founded for several reasons.

1️⃣ Customer expectations no longer vary by category.

In the past, it was common for customers to excuse subpar experiences based on the industry. For example, a merely satisfactory experience for a bank or a manufacturer of tractor parts was acceptable. Today, that's not the case.

A significant 80% of B2B buyers expect experiences akin to those they encounter as consumers.

2️⃣ Expectations do vary by brand.

We naturally expect more from leading brands. I often present to top-tier companies, and while these organizations outperform their competitors, they also face heightened expectations.

My daughter, studying for an MBA in Hospitality in France, sees this firsthand. Guests anticipate more from a luxury brand like the Ritz-Carlton compared to a budget option like the Comfort Inn, illustrating the power of brand reputation.

Brand value remains critical, especially in the AI age, as trust assets are essential in decision-making by language models.

3️⃣ Expectations are indeed rising

A recent global survey by Salesforce revealed that 85% of customer experience professionals report increased demands from customers compared to a year ago—a substantial finding indicating escalating customer expectations.

So, what should businesses do now?

Are these heightened expectations fair?

The fairness is irrelevant.

Customers' higher expectations are not wishful thinking; they are a result of receiving quality experiences elsewhere.

The Henry Ford quote, "If you asked customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse," applies here. Customers didn't demand free two-way shipping before Zappos offered it, because they hadn't experienced it yet.

When customers enjoy quick, clear, or kind experiences from one company but not yours, the reasons for your shortfall—which may be valid—don't figure into the equation UNLESS you communicate your why very clearly.

It's crucial to explain why you can't meet certain expectations if you're unable to do so optimally.

For example, when fans of Tequila Jay Baer questioned delays in receiving t-shirts, I changed the website and confirmation email to explain that shirts are made-to-order. Complaints vanished.

Internally, I'd argue that embracing high expectations can foster cultural uplift, as seen in leading firms with top Net Promoter Scores that prioritize metrics and continuous improvement.

Many host large events for team members to focus on future customer experience optimization. This proactive and inclusive approach often proves more motivating than merely doing one's best amid limitations.

And certainly understanding and embracing that the customer expectation escalation genie isn't going back in the bottle is a better success path than complaining about the relative fairness of that escape.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know?

🔥 Burning Question

Last issue's question was "If you could meet any living person, who wouid it be and why?"

Many interesting answers, but my favorite is from Greg Smart who went with Tim Berners-Lee, explained thusly:

"We literally experience his creations daily. The World Wide Web, HTML, URLs, web browsers. He revolutionized global communication, created the foundation for the digital economy, accelerated access to information, and shaped digital ethics. He didn’t just build a technology, he built the infrastructure for modern civilization."

Great answer, Greg. You win tequila and a book. Send me your address!

No question this time, as I'm deep in Mexico for a while. Burning Question resturns in the next issue!

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

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Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣0️⃣9️⃣

2025-11-05T21:05:29-05:00

Issue 109: Are Your Customers' Expectations Unfair?

At last week’s keynotes, several people asked me about AI agents and whether customers want or are ready for them?

Eventually, YES! What AI agents can do is ASTONISHING compared to even nine months ago.

But you may not know HOW these agents get built, HOW they interface with humans, and HOW they integrate with CX platforms.

My friends at NICE are doing a jam-packed, 60-minute, live session on November 12 at 11am Eastern.

It’s called Unleash AI. Reimagine CX. And you should tune in. No cost.

You’ll get specific advice and counsel from Adidas execs, former Google AI execs, and the team from NICE Cognigy.

I’m particularly excited to see real-world AI agents in action, solving customer problems.

This’ll be 60 minutes worth your time, from one of the recognized global leaders in the AI and CX convergence. See you there!

🎤 New talk is ready for you!

Big thanks to you for tuning in to the big reveal of my new keynote presentation:

Human.Kind: How to Keep it Real and Win in the Age of AI

If you couldn't make it, here's the recording

🎁 Jay's Faves

Decaf coffee is terrible.

But not anymore!

My good friend Brad Wisler just launched Freestyle Decaf, a service that sends the world's best-tasting, high-quality decaf coffee right to your door.

It's outstanding!

📖 Book Report

Sometimes, the right book comes along at JUST the right time.

My pal David Horsager published Trust Matters More Than Ever last year (coincidentally, on election day).

I'd argue trust matters even more now than it did a year ago. And the book is just as vital and useful. Absolute must-read for leaders and managers in any category of business.

‼️ Are Your Customers' Expectations Unfair?

In my journeys, I often encounter leaders, particularly front-line leaders, who are exasperated by the increasingly high expectations of customers today.

Their exasperation is well-founded for several reasons.

1️⃣ Customer expectations no longer vary by category.

A significant 80% of B2B buyers expect experiences akin to those they encounter as consumers.

2️⃣ Expectations do vary by brand.

We naturally expect more from leading brands. I often present to top-tier companies, and while these organizations outperform their competitors, they also face heightened expectations.

Brand value remains critical, especially in the AI age, as trust assets are essential in decision-making by language models.

3️⃣ Expectations are indeed rising

So, what should businesses do now?

Are these heightened expectations fair?

The fairness is irrelevant.

Customers' higher expectations are not wishful thinking; they are a result of receiving quality experiences elsewhere.

It's crucial to explain why you can't meet certain expectations if you're unable to do so optimally.

For example, when fans of Tequila Jay Baer questioned delays in receiving t-shirts, I changed the website and confirmation email to explain that shirts are made-to-order. Complaints vanished.

Internally, I'd argue that embracing high expectations can foster cultural uplift, as seen in leading firms with top Net Promoter Scores that prioritize metrics and continuous improvement.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know?

🔥 Burning Question

Last issue's question was "If you could meet any living person, who wouid it be and why?"

Many interesting answers, but my favorite is from Greg Smart who went with Tim Berners-Lee, explained thusly:

Great answer, Greg. You win tequila and a book. Send me your address!

No question this time, as I'm deep in Mexico for a while. Burning Question resturns in the next issue!

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣0️⃣9️⃣

2025-11-05T20:30:35-05:00

Issue 109: Are Your Customers' Expectations Unfair?

At last week’s keynotes, several people asked me about AI agents and whether customers want or are ready for them?

Eventually, YES! What AI agents can do is ASTONISHING compared to even nine months ago.

But you may not know HOW these agents get built, HOW they interface with humans, and HOW they integrate with CX platforms.

My friends at NICE are doing a jam-packed, 60-minute, live session on November 12 at 11am Eastern.

It’s called Unleash AI. Reimagine CX. And you should tune in. No cost.

You’ll get specific advice and counsel from Adidas execs, former Google AI execs, and the team from NICE Cognigy.

I’m particularly excited to see real-world AI agents in action, solving customer problems.

This’ll be 60 minutes worth your time, from one of the recognized global leaders in the AI and CX convergence. See you there!

🎤 New talk is ready for you!

Big thanks to you for tuning in to the big reveal of my new keynote presentation:

Human.Kind: How to Keep it Real and Win in the Age of AI

If you couldn't make it, here's the recording

🎁 Jay's Faves

Decaf coffee is terrible.

But not anymore!

My good friend Brad Wisler just launched Freestyle Decaf, a service that sends the world's best-tasting, high-quality decaf coffee right to your door.

It's outstanding!

📖 Book Report

Sometimes, the right book comes along at JUST the right time.

My pal David Horsager published Trust Matters More Than Ever last year (coincidentally, on election day).

I'd argue trust matters even more now than it did a year ago. And the book is just as vital and useful. Absolute must-read for leaders and managers in any category of business.

‼️ Are Your Customers' Expectations Unfair?

In my journeys, I often encounter leaders, particularly front-line leaders, who are exasperated by the increasingly high expectations of customers today.

Their exasperation is well-founded for several reasons.

1️⃣ Customer expectations no longer vary by category.

A significant 80% of B2B buyers expect experiences akin to those they encounter as consumers.

2️⃣ Expectations do vary by brand.

We naturally expect more from leading brands. I often present to top-tier companies, and while these organizations outperform their competitors, they also face heightened expectations.

Brand value remains critical, especially in the AI age, as trust assets are essential in decision-making by language models.

3️⃣ Expectations are indeed rising

So, what should businesses do now?

Are these heightened expectations fair?

The fairness is irrelevant.

Customers' higher expectations are not wishful thinking; they are a result of receiving quality experiences elsewhere.

It's crucial to explain why you can't meet certain expectations if you're unable to do so optimally.

For example, when fans of Tequila Jay Baer questioned delays in receiving t-shirts, I changed the website and confirmation email to explain that shirts are made-to-order. Complaints vanished.

Internally, I'd argue that embracing high expectations can foster cultural uplift, as seen in leading firms with top Net Promoter Scores that prioritize metrics and continuous improvement.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know?

🔥 Burning Question

Last issue's question was "If you could meet any living person, who wouid it be and why?"

Many interesting answers, but my favorite is from Greg Smart who went with Tim Berners-Lee, explained thusly:

Great answer, Greg. You win tequila and a book. Send me your address!

No question this time, as I'm deep in Mexico for a while. Burning Question resturns in the next issue!

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

Your copy of The Baer Facts 1️⃣0️⃣🎱

2025-10-21T21:31:18-04:00

Issue 108: Is an AI Backlash on the Way?

🗓️ See you tomorrow?

My new keynote is about how to use the human touch to out-perform your competition in the age of AI and automation. It might be my best work, ever.

Live on Zoom. Tomorrow!

Human.Kind: How to Keep it Real and Win in the Age of AI

Wednesday, October 22

4pm ET

Add to your calendar now

🎁 Jay's Faves

My fave place is my house in Puerto Vallarta. We're headed back there soon. When we're not in Mexico, the house is on Airbnb.

Currently available for American Thanksgiving, most of December, XMAS week, and next April and May.

Sleeps 8-10 comfortably. Interested? Email me! Big discount for The Baer Facts readers.

📖 Book Report

Wow! My old friend Steve Spangler has done it again.

Not only is he an Emmy-winning TV star (you've maybe seen him doing science experiments on the Ellen show), but also one of the greatest educators of all time.

And his new book, The Engagement Effect, is fantastic. If you ever find yourself having to lead, or teach, or motivate....you'll get a TON out of this book.

Insightful, interesting, funny. It's just an excellent and inspirational read.

😵‍💫 Is an AI Backlash on the Way?

In Minneapolis this week, a CEO of a very large wholesale distribution company asked me a great question after my keynote:

"Jay, do you think there will be a societal backlash over the use of AI?"

Today, there is a big gap between business' enthusiasm for AI, and customer enthusiasm for it.

More or less 65% of businesses say that AI improves customer experiences, and around 20% of customers concur at the moment.

But most of consumers' issues with AI are theoretical, not practical.

There's a lot of 🤖"I don't want my problem to be solved by a robot."

Or "I want to deal with a PERSON with feelings and empathy."

Or "What happens when the robots take over and enslave us all?"

I get it. AI is freaky. We don't REALLY understand it (even the people building it). And that scares us - rightfully so.

But what the current research shows is that customers' objections to AI usually melt away once they actually encounter and use AI successfully.

Put more plainly: people dislike the IDEA of AI more than the OUTCOMES of AI.

I spend a lot of time with AI customer experience solutions (see the session from NICE mentioned above). And I can tell you first-hand that the capabilities of AI to solve many customer problems already exceeds human capabilities, in many instances. And we're in like the 2nd inning of the AI baseball game.

Don't get me wrong. AI is not infallible. It remains troublesome in terms of accuracy, ownership, privacy, ethics, inclusion, and a bunch of other aspects.

But the genie is NOT going back in the bottle, regardless of how much we might wish it to be so.

The efficiency gains provided by AI are so profound that some manner of AI implementation will essentially be required for most organizations to remain in business within two years.

And while the path to get there is admittedly difficult and somewhat frightening, the projected outcome is fantastic: ~ 25% more efficiency in your business. And as it improves, customers will begrudgingly set aside most of their AI objections.

Social media travels a similar path. So much debate (for good reason) about social media privacy - not to mention what it does to create angst and division. Yet, social media usage continues to increase and accelerate.

I'm not suggesting the relentless advance of technology is necessarily a net societal gain. That's a question for a bigger thinker than me.

But do I beleive there will be a backlash against AI that would fundamentally slow or halt its adoption? Nope.

We brought this puppy home, now we have to raise it together.

🔥 Burning Question

Last issue's question was "What's your favorite movie sequal?"

My favorite was from Sean Thompson: Mad Max: Fury Road. When the opening sequence finally faded to black I realized I had been holding my breath, I was so engaged in the sheer madness of what had been going on!

Great answer. And the amazing thing about that movie is that the effects are practical, NOT CGI!

Great job, Sean. Enjoy the tequila!

Next question:

🤷🏻‍♀️ If you could meet any living person, who would it be, and why?

You can just hit reply and tell me directly.

👭 Tell a Friend

I'll be back with another edition in two weeks.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends. You can send them directly to TheBaerFacts.com

Thank you!

1410 E Hunter Ave
Bloomington Indiana 47401
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options