Secrets to Getting Great Customer Service & The Curious Story of Remote Controls
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
There is one word I think gets people in trouble with money. It's probably. I'm probably spending about this much every month. I'm probably saving enough. I'm probably on track for retirement. Probably is not a financial plan. I've been using Monarch. It's a personal finance app that puts your whole financial picture in one place. And it replaces probably. With actual numbers. For example, Monarch showed me that our spending last month jumped about 30% from the month before. 30%. We had some home repairs, but none of the bills seemed like a big hit at the time, but put them all together and wow. But I didn't realize how much our spending had jumped until Monarch showed me. And I think that's how money can get away from you.
It's not necessarily one giant expense that sets off alarm bells, it's all the things that add up that you don't really notice. That's what I like about Monarch. You can see your Spending, accounts, investments, and savings goals all in one place and see what's really going on with your money. If you're operating on probably, maybe it's time to find out, write your own money story with Monarch. Use code SYSK at monarch.com to get your first year of Monarch Core half off at just $50. That's $50. fifty percent off your first year at monarch.com with code SYSK. Today on something you should know, why do certain smells bring back such vivid memories? Then getting good customer service, the right and the wrong ways to complain.
If you say I'm contacting a lawyer, that gets rooted to the legal department. And that's where complaints go to die. Here's another favorite of mine is I'm never staying in your hotel or flying on your airline again. What incentive do they have to fix the problem if you're leaving?
Also, the real reason your fingers get wrinkly in the bathtub. And the interesting and curious story of your TV's remote control.
So you might be wondering why does your television remote have so many buttons you never use? Those are actually called vestigial buttons and remote control designers know you're not using them.
All this today on something you should know. A big thank you to today's sponsor, Vinted. I think most of us have what I call someday clothes. I'll wear that someday. That'll fit better someday. Someday I'll have a place to wear that. Meanwhile, it's been hanging in the closet for three years. Vinted offers another possibility. Sell it. Every day people can sell clothes they're no longer wearing and make some extra money. And they've made the process pretty painless. Take what you don't wear, list it on Vinted. Listing is quick and simple. And when an item sells, Vinted creates the prepaid shipping label for you. And importantly, there are no seller fees on Vinted. So when you sell something, you keep everything you earn.
I like this whole idea because instead of clothes just taking up space, somebody else gets to wear. them and you get some money out of the deal. Your closet looks better too. I mean everybody wins, even the closet. So maybe it's time to stop waiting for someday. Download the Vinted app for free and start listing with no seller fees so you keep everything you earn.
Something you should know. Fascinating intel. The world's top experts. And practical advice you can use in your life. Today, something you should know with Mike Carruthers.
We all have lots of triggers that will bring back memories, but there's something about a smell that's pretty special. And that's what we're going to start with today, on this episode of Something You Should Know. Hi, I'm Mike Carruthers. So you can look at an old photograph and remember the past, but catch a whiff of your grandmother's perfume or your childhood home or freshly cut grass, and suddenly you can feel as if you've actually been transported. There's a reason that smell can have such an extraordinary effect on memory. Information from most of our senses takes a more roundabout route through. The brain. But smell has an unusually direct connection to areas of the brain involved in emotion and memory.
And studies have found that memories triggered by odors tend to be particularly emotional and often come from earlier periods in our lives.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–7:16
2
Why do certain smells trigger vivid emotional memories?
7:16–7:54
3
What are the most effective strategies for getting good customer service?
7:54–10:08
4
How did the first remote controls originate and what were they used for?
10:08–17:06
5
Why do modern TV remotes have so many ‘vestigial’ buttons you never use?
17:06–18:36
6
What design trade‑offs are causing today’s remote controls to be both simpler and harder to find?
18:36–26:46
7
Which common complaints tactics actually make the problem worse?
26:46–34:50
8
How does a polite, fact‑based approach improve your chances of a resolution?
34:50–47:50
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Something You Should Know
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SYSK TRENDING - What Makes Someone Credible
The Nocebo Effect: Placebo’s Evil Twin & Weird Facts You Never Knew