Death, denial and debt. Why services need Closure Experiences. Abstract: We are good at creating service experiences at the beginning of the customer life-cycle, but terrible at creating a coherent, neutralised endings. This presentation argues that we have lost touch with ‘closure’ over recent generations and are in a state of denial. The argument is established through historic changes in society, evidence from academia, and our changing relationship with death. Further examples go into details from product, service and digital sectors as well as our wider society. The presentation delves into the design industry with a focus on services and what closure means in this context. It offers an alternative point of view, that embeds closure in the customer lifecycle and shows how it can bring wide reaching benefits for the entire user experience. Innovation: The services industry is awash with bad endings. • A surprising amount of old people are getting their first tattoo. Fearful someone will bring them back to life. • 1 in 4 UK pensions are going missing according to the charity, Age Concern. Lost in decades of mis-management, letters, mergers and acquisitions. • How big a party should £84k get you? After repaying £284k on a £200k mortgage, I might expect a bit more than a cold letter to say thanks? This is a wide cultural problem. Impacting the consumer and businesses in the service industry. Revealed in issues such as mis-selling of financial services, climate change, and erosion of personal reputations online. Closure Experiences is a critical factor in improving responsibility, thinking long term and increasing quality.

1. vClosure Experiences:
Death, Denial and Debt
Joe Macleod | Closure Experiences
@mrmacleod @ClosureExp

2. Closure
Experiences
Joe Macleod. @mrmacleod @ClosureExp
closureexperiences.com
Death, Denial and Debt

3. What
What is a Closure Experience
Why the customer life cycle is biased
What created this situation
How it has impacted us
Good and bad Closure Experiences

4. The satisfactory conclusion to a product or
service relationship. Each party feeling
satisfied with the completed transaction, it
being a fair, just conclusion without
negative consequence.
Closure
”
”

5. The Consumer
Experience

6. 1. 2. 3.
Any consumer experience can
be broken down into 3 stages
On-Boarding Off-BoardingUsage
The stable, committed
relationship between the user
and the service they use, or
the product they own.
It is the effort it takes to get the
customer to commit to the
product or service relationship.
The start of the relationship.
It is the effort it takes to neutralise the
effects of the engagement. To
complete the agreed engagement. It is
the conclusion of the relationship.

7. engagement
time
Starting
Experiences
Closure
Experiences
Fuelled by commerce Fuelled by society
Language of self actualisation Language of safety and security
On-Boarding Off-BoardingUsage
The stable, committed
relationship between the user
and the service they use, or
the product they own.
It is the effort it takes to get the
customer to commit to the
product or service relationship.
The start of the relationship.
It is the effort it takes to neutralise the
effects of the engagement. To
complete the agreed engagement. It is
the conclusion of the relationship.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

8. Packaging
Advertising
Marketing
engagement
time
Examples include…
T&Cs
Inactivity / dormancy
Break the contract
Examples include…
Recycle
Starting
Experiences
Closure
Experiences
Fuelled by commerce Fuelled by society
Language of self actualisation Language of safety and security
On-Boarding Off-BoardingUsage
The stable, committed
relationship between the user
and the service they use, or
the product they own.
It is the effort it takes to get the
customer to commit to the
product or service relationship.
The start of the relationship.
It is the effort it takes to neutralise the
effects of the engagement. To
complete the agreed engagement. It is
the conclusion of the relationship.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

9. engagement
time
The
interest
gap
Packaging
Advertising
MarketingExamples include…
T&Cs
Inactivity / dormancy
Break the contract
Examples include…
Recycle
Starting
Experiences
Closure
Experiences
Fuelled by commerce Fuelled by society
Language of self actualisation Language of safety and security
On-Boarding Off-BoardingUsage
The stable, committed
relationship between the user
and the service they use, or
the product they own.
It is the effort it takes to get the
customer to commit to the
product or service relationship.
The start of the relationship.
It is the effort it takes to neutralise the
effects of the engagement. To
complete the agreed engagement. It is
the conclusion of the relationship.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

10. engagement
time
The
interest
gap
Packaging
Advertising
MarketingExamples include…
T&Cs
Inactivity / dormancy
Break the contract
Examples include…
Recycle
Starting
Experiences
Closure
Experiences
Fuelled by commerce Fuelled by society
Language of self actualisation Language of safety and security
On-Boarding Off-BoardingUsage
The stable, committed
relationship between the user
and the service they use, or
the product they own.
It is the effort it takes to get the
customer to commit to the
product or service relationship.
The start of the relationship.
It is the effort it takes to neutralise the
effects of the engagement. To
complete the agreed engagement. It is
the conclusion of the relationship.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

11. The customer life cycle
is biased
There is a gap of interest
Consumers and industry in
codependent denial
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

12. services
products
digital
…the consequences
we see in
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

13. The Social context
of Closure

14. Life was hard,
El Ángelus. Jean-François Millet. CCJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

15. death was familiar,
Ars Moriendi. Meister E.S.Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

16. funerals were meaningful,
A Burial at Ornans by Gustave Courbet. CCJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

17. heaven was an
attractive reward.
Belshazzar’s Feast. John MartinJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

18. Plague arrived
Antonis MilanosJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

19. Meaningless death
Scène de la peste de 1720 à la Tourette by Michel SerreJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

20. Miss-managed
Raphael's Portrait of Leo X with cardinals Giulio de' MediciJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Hacking access with indulgences

21. Protestent uprising
Scène de la peste de 1720 à la Tourette by Michel SerreJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Day of reckoning

22. Work in the eyes of God
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences. Eisenwalzwerk. Adolph Menzel

23. Re-invest in the eyes of God
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

24. Increased wages
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences. CWD Negative Collection, Orange & District Historical Society
work less? buy more?

25. Medicine learnt to
control death,
Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross.Thomas EakinsJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

26. and hid it away.
Gross Clinic on display at the Army Post HospitalJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

27. Consume
Heaven on Earth
without end
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences. American Abundance for allVintage ad Wheaties sweepstakes 1958

28. Death gave birth to
Heaven
Work was un-Godly
Death was an expected
part of life
Heaven is abundant
on Earth
Work and
investment Godly.
Death is hidden
from life
So…
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

29. Closure changed…
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Closure had value
and a vocabulary
Closure is hidden,
overlooked and
unwanted

30. Closure in the
Service Landscape

31. Government
The only service your born into.
Petr Kratochvil. CCJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
To leave; vote, move or die

32. By English: Gerry J. Gilmore [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Nuclear deterrent
UK spends £205 Billion on Trident
“A nuclear weapon must be always at the
ready, yet never used” Bernard Brodie
Never ending story
Multi-billion £ oxymoron

33. By English: Gerry J. Gilmore [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Divorce
Never ending story
£205 Billion
Divorce rates doubled between 1970
(58,239) and 1980 (148,301)
Marriage/Divorce
Marriage ended by husband
by saying “Talaq" 3 times
5 reasons considered
grounds for divorce in UK
1. Adultery,
2. Un-reasonable behaviour,
3. Desertion,
4. Lived apart for 2 years and agreed to
get divorced
5. Lived apart for 5 years without
agreement
UK Government
Divorce with
Blame
Immediate
Divorce
JanVan Eyck.Arnolfini Wedding Portrait
Russian revolution in 1918.
• Helped people leave abusive
relationships.
• Lowered the incidents of wives
committing suicide by 8-16%
• 30% decrease in domestic
violence
Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers
No Fault
Divorce
• 1 in 11 Muslim women are
survivors of triple Talaq
• Vast majority receiving no
compensation.
Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA)

34. Thad Zajdowicz. CCJoe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Credit cards
US household debt as of Q1
2016, is $132,086
www.nerdwallet.com
Credit cards US average $15,310
Consumer rewarded for more debt.
Never rewarded for paying back.
Gaming debt.
Not celebrating
good debt payers.

35. Switch Guarantee
Energy industryFinancial industry
“people change their bank accounts, on average, every 26 years”
“75% of personal current account holders have never switched, with nearly 1 in 5
saying this was because of the hassle and potential risks.”
Current Account Switch Service will let
consumers safely and reliably switch their
accounts between banks in 7 days. Sept 2013
Independent Commission on Banking Report
(a) 36% did not think it was possible to change one or more of the following:
tariff, payment, method and supplier.
(b) 34% said they had never considered switching supplier.
(c) 56% said they had never switched supplier, did not know it was possible or
did not know if they had done so.
Competition and Markets Authority
Energy Switch Guarantee is a commitment
that promises a speedy and safe switch from
one energy provider to another. June 2016
Big industry find it hard to create endings.
So watchdogs have to do it for them.

36. Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Gyms
Attrition rate of gyms 30-50%.
Even the best gyms are losing 30% each year
www.ptdirect.com
2 in 5 people had trouble canceling contracts.
1 in 4 people had a notice period over 1 month.
1 in 5 found they couldn't leave due to being
tied in for minimum term.
which.co.uk
Gyms deny endings
with contract lock-ins.
Opportunity to create a best in class Closure
Experience - celebrate the ending.

37. Cultural bias towards On-Boarding
Users trapped in contracts
Business fail to create closure
Off-Boarding lengthy, legal and hidden
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Services

38. As an industry,
services don't do endings well.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

39. A good
Closure Experience
will be…

40. Consciously Connected to the
rest of the experience through
Emotional Triggers that are
Actionable by the user in a
Timely manner.
A good Closure Experience will be…
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

41. Consciously Connected
Closure is Consciously Connected to the rest of the
experience through Emotional Triggers that are
Actionable by the user in a Timely manner.

42. Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Sales interviews
The conversation is a ‘sales opportunity’
Sky requires the customer to have a 1 hour phone
call if they want to leave
Gavin Hackwood from UK. Attempted to leave
Sky. After 90 minuets call his request was denied.

43. Pensions
Pensions need to connect
a Starting experience and
a Closure experience over
decades.
1 in 4 of these pension
pots goes missing through
lack of contact.
Age Concern
Average of 11 employers in
our lifetime.
Department for Work and
Pensions UK
20s 65s40 years of v i s i b i l i t y
lifespan
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

44. Emotional Triggers
Closure is Consciously Connected to the rest of the
experience through Emotional Triggers that are
Actionable by the user in a Timely manner.

45. Marie Kondo Tidying Technique
New York Times
Questioning: does a product
‘bring you joy?’ helps the owner
understand the meaning if
ownership and responsibility.
Encourages
emotional endings
with the clutter in
your home
‘Goodbye, and thank you for
teaching me what doesn’t suit
me’
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

46. Actionable
Closure is Consciously Connected to the rest of the
experience through Emotional Triggers that are
Actionable by the user in a Timely manner.

47. Carbon off-setting
on flights. As part
of the customer
lifecycle worked.
Carbon off-setting for flights was part
of the customer purchase lifecycle.
Sadly it has moved into the
background, and airlines do it as part
of their Social Responsibility.
Carbon off-setting
for your flight
A perfect moment to ask
about a Closure Experience
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

48. Timely
Closure is Consciously Connected to the rest of the
experience through Emotional Triggers that are
Actionable by the user in a Timely manner.

49. Mortgages
Jameslwoodward
There should be a period of
reflection and celebration.30 years of
payback shouldn't
end in a moment
Sadly debt is only celebrated, when more debt is added.
Paying off debt is not celebrated,
avoiding a Closure experience for the user.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

50. DNR. Do Not Resuscitate
Jameslwoodward
Occasionally resuscitation takes place
despite the existence of a DNR. Prompting
many elderly people to get their first tattoo.
DNR is over
burdened as an
interface.
A DNR document is a humble A4 piece of
paper that informs medical staff about the
life and death intentions of the user.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

51. Techniques and Models

52. 52
Closure Experiences
There are 5 main types of closure
experiences the user has with Services.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
Time out Credit out
Task/Event
completion Withdrawal Lingering
2 week holiday, 3 year
degree, 1 year
software subscription,
Pay As You Go,
Points on your
driving license
Parcel delivered, boiler
fixed, car serviced,
concert watched,
operation successful,
money transferred
Break the contract,
leave the film early, end
the relationship,
A pension that you no
longer pay into. An
unused gym
membership
2 3 4 51

53. So…

54. Balancethe l i f e c y c l e
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

55. value life, in death.
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

56. for every start,
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

57. design an end
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

58. every emotional
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

59. HELLO!

60. deserves
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.
a

61. grateful
Joe Macleod. Closure Experiences.

62. Goodbye
Joe Macleod. @ClosureExp @mrmacleod www.closureexperiences.com

63. closureexperiences.com
@mrmacleod @ClosureExp
Joe Macleod
Founder
Closure Experiences