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May 2026

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The term “customer experience” can bring to mind a vast, multi-touchpoint operation requiring an intensive overhaul to improve. In fact, many entrepreneurs will tell you that the customer’s experience can be vastly improved with one strategic change. You just have to figure out what that change might be for your particular brand.

Here, six founders share the change that most transformed their customer experience.

1. Invest in knowledgeable humans.

“We help local bookstores sell online. During the pandemic, there was a huge spike in orders. We needed customer service people, fast. We could have outsourced agents to other countries, or automated solutions. Instead, we hired out-of-work booksellers across the country. It cost more, but we got agents who share our customers’ love of books and offer recommendations, and that’s made us the highest-rated online bookstore on Trustpilot.” — Andy Hunter, founder and CEO, Bookshop.org

2. Adjust for better vibes.

“We offer boutique fitness classes, and transforming our customer experience was as simple as giving people space. In the beginning, I tried to fit as many mats as possible into the studio. I thought, More bodies, more energy. But it backfired. People felt cramped. When I cut the mats down and gave everyone breathing room, the entire class changed. The energy rose, the movement felt more expansive, and people told me afterward, ‘This feels like luxury.’” — Dino MalvONE, founder, SaltDrop

3. Spend more on what matters.

“We make bamboo bedsheets, and one of the most transformative changes came when we replaced our generic plastic packaging with compostable packaging. Some investors pushed back at first. But we listened to our customers, who hated receiving sustainable sheets wrapped in plastic. It took investment and creativity, but customers celebrated the switch.” — Kat Dey, cofounder and president, Ettitude

4. Find opportunities to personalize.

“We sell products to improve sleep and reduce stress. Last year, we introduced the option to add a physical, custom greeting card to online orders — and the result was transformative. Gifting purchases went up 20%. It was such a small addition to the experience, but it made our customers’ gifts more meaningful, and deepened their emotional connection with our brand.” — Kathrin Hamm, founder and CEO, Bearaby

5. Build long-term relationships.

“We manage content creators, and our work was once very responsive: We’d secure deals, manage campaigns, and troubleshoot as needs came up. But then we started stepping in earlier and more often — not just when an opportunity was on the table. We introduced dedicated strategy calls, check-ins, and proactive growth planning. Now our talent feels deeply supported in building long-term, sustainable businesses.” — Lindsay Nead, founder and CEO, Parker Management

6. Create a guided journey.

“We’re a wellness tech brand, and as we launched more products, we realized customers were struggling to understand the range of our offerings. So we redesigned our website to guide the customer step-by-step, making it clear how each product fits into a ritual and allowing customers to shop by their goals rather than just browsing. This dramatically improved engagement.” — Lauren Berlingeri, cofounder and co-CEO, HigherDose

Here, six founders share the change that most transformed their customer experience.

1. Invest in knowledgeable humans.

Frances Dodds

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Deputy Editor of Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur Staff

Frances Dodds is Entrepreneur magazine's deputy editor. Before that she was features director for Entrepreneur.com,... Read more

How 6 Founders Transformed Their Customer Experience Fast