Interview with Joe Macleod • YOW! 2020

Good endings are crucial for customer relationships and product lifecycles, yet most businesses focus only on onboarding and retention

Historical religious influences, particularly Protestant vs Catholic approaches to endings, have shaped modern attitudes toward consumption and disposal

No-fault divorce cases demonstrate how poorly designed endings can trap people in negative situations and damage relationships

Netflix’s approach to embracing customer endings led to higher satisfaction rates (85-87%) compared to traditional cable TV companies

Many sustainability symbols and recycling marks are misleading - they often indicate financial contributions rather than actual recyclability

The PANTS scheme in Europe demonstrates effective end-of-life product management by incentivizing bottle returns through deposits

Progressive obsolescence emerged in American consumer culture, encouraging frequent replacements rather than long-term use

There are eight different types of endings in customer relationships, including timeout endings, proximity endings, and competitive endings

Poor ending experiences in products and services often lead to environmental issues, like plastic pollution

Businesses need to design meaningful, emotional, and actionable endings rather than passive or hostile termination experiences

The current sustainability movement focuses too heavily on “better purchasing” rather than addressing end-of-life product management