Unravelling the discerning laziness paradox

How can retailers serve and win the loyalty of customers who are simultaneously highly prescriptive and lazier than ever?

Whether you realise it or not, we are living through the smashing together of two great symphonies, or zeitgeists, which we will look back on as the inflexion points of our time, writes Tim Biddiscombe, CEO of customer experience (CX) advisory firm Purple Square.

Regarding the first of those, it often feels like the apocryphal Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times," has come true for those of us during the incredibly fearful and uncertain first decades of the 21st century.

I won't waste my words or your time going through what's happening in the world because you get it. The impact on retail of all the geopolitical and economic turmoil goes far beyond the supply chain; it is leading modern consumers to be more price, quality, review and brand-sensitive than ever before. And it was a lot before, to be fair.

Decline in critical thinking

What, then, is the second symphony? According to a recent Microsoft survey of their staff, they are finding significant reductions in cognitive effort and confidence effects (layperson: critical thinking) among the staff who habitually use generative AI (gen AI) in the course of their work. This worrying trend goes far beyond the Microsoft workforce. With more than a billion reported ChatGPT users worldwide, we're on the brink of a modern Idiocracy as the capacity for critical thinking declines.

The impact of these two colliding forces, smashing together with the heedless abandon of two galaxies caught in each other's gravitational pull, is plain to see.
We have cautious consumers who are hesitant buyers and wish to check and recheck every aspect of every purchase to make sure it's good value. Yet, at the same time, consumers are relying on a large language model (LLM) that is no more intelligent than a tree stump to inform them what they should be thinking and doing.

Maintaining 'Informational Integrity'

I call this new phenomenon “discerning laziness”. There are many approaches to this conundrum, but what we, as CX advisors at Purple Square, recommend to our clients is an approach we call 'Informational Integrity'. This approach is tailored to each client according to their unique vertical, reputational standing, and technical capabilities, and it covers factors such as:

• Could the products sold on your website and mobile app contain fact-checking resources or links to one of the Pantheon of independent third-party sites? Even if customers choose not to explore them, their very presence will provide reassurance.
• Thought leadership articles and blog posts from your product team could provide education on how to quickly and accurately evaluate claims independently.
• If you use gen AI content, such as images or text, consider transparently highlighting where it has been used. Those who are bought into an AI future will eagerly consume it, and those who are more sceptical will appreciate your candour and do their due diligence before purchasing.
• Be open with your consumers about the factors that influence personalised recommendations. I often stress the importance of promoting to customers the products they want rather than the products you want them to buy (I call this 'try the fish marketing'). While they might try the fish, it fractionally erodes brand confidence and reduces customer lifetime value.

Building trust and authenticity

Retailers who can crack the paradox of discerning laziness at the intersection of these two forces, providing their customers with simple and easy propositions that radiate authenticity while drawing customers in with attractive price models, will crack a literal goldmine. They become trusted navigators who help consumers make thoughtful choices amid uncertainty rather than exploiting fear or allowing gen AI to make decisions unchallenged.

This may sometimes mean sacrificing short-term conversion optimisation in favour of the long-term benefits of building trust. To find out more, contact me here or contact me via LinkedIn.