Podcast Summary: "Crowdsourced Fixes Vol. 2"

We Fixed It. You're Welcome. (Gamut Podcast Network)
Air Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This special episode flips the script: Instead of the panel pitching fixes for companies, listeners submit their own ideas for what’s broken in the world of business and how they’d repair it. The hosts—Erin [A], Melissa [E], and Kadira [D]—react to each crowd-provided fix, offer expert critique, and riff with stories, humor, and professional insight. The companies tackled include Carnival Cruises, Amazon (with multiple fixes suggested), the US Postal Service, and Uber.

Main Theme:
How to creatively solve the very real annoyances and missteps in corporate loyalty programs, delivery logistics, and customer experience—straight from loyal customers themselves.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Carnival’s Controversial Loyalty Program Overhaul

(Listener Fix from Kristen, 01:09–03:00)

Background

• Carnival Cruises changed their rewards program: perks are no longer awarded primarily by nights sailed, but by money spent.
• Longtime high-status customers feel alienated.

Listener’s Suggestion

• Kristen suggests Carnival should let existing Platinum and Diamond members keep their status OR pick a perk for each cruise, instead of just moving to a spend-based system.

Panel Reactions

• Kadira [D]: 03:16
  • Emphasizes transparent communication about why changes are happening.
  • Advocates for a "phased approach": “If you’re a new customer…here’s the new program. But if you’ve been with us, we’ll roll this out over the next year.”
• Melissa [E]: 05:09
  • “Communication is non-negotiable.”
  • Loyalty programs are about community and feeling valued—not just discounts.
  • Suggests programs should sunset gracefully and allow for customer choice: “It needs to be more than 10% off. It needs to be more.”
• Erin [A]: 07:59
  • Describes the “not fair” feeling longstanding customers get when they’re moved down a peg.
  • Likes the idea of letting high-status customers choose their perks.
  • Raises a key question: “Is it practical to let everyone have hyper-personalized experiences at scale in something like a cruise or airline?”
• Melissa [E]: 09:00
  • Personalization can work by letting customers choose from a menu of perks (“secret menu” for top-tier customers).
  • Cites examples like exclusive excursions or members-only experiences enabled by using data.
  • Quote: “What about the secret menu? Only if you're in this platinum tier… you get horseback riding on the beach with dinner.”

Memorable Quote:

“What consumers and especially loyal customers don’t like is that feeling that the rules have changed. I did everything you asked, and then it’s still not good enough.”
—Erin [A], 07:59

General Advice

• Explain changes clearly and empathetically.
• Allow for legacy rewards or grandfathering.
• Use data to offer flexible “menu-based” perks.

2. Amazon Baby (and Wedding) Registry – Delayed Shipping

(Listener Fix from Jack, 14:02–14:43)

Background

• Many people don’t have space to store gifts delivered well before a baby arrives (especially in apartments).
• Jack proposes Amazon should allow recipients to delay shipping on registry gifts for 2-3 months.

Panel Reactions

• Melissa [E]: 14:43
  • Thinks it’s a great idea—for baby and wedding registries.
  • Notes increasing issues with porch pirates, too.
• Kadira [D]: 15:36
  • Extends the idea: why not allow delayed shipping for anything purchased?
  • Points out the logistical challenge of holding inventory, especially for long delays.
  • Suggests locker pickup for shorter-term delivery flexibility.
• Erin [A]: 16:33
  • Advocates expanding delayed shipping to regular orders (“Maybe I want it up to a year from now. Could I be a viable customer for that?”).
• Melissa [E]: 18:08
  • Sees value in letting customers set delivery preferences by day or time.
• General Consensus:
  • Personalized shipping windows are a win; the logistical challenge is on Amazon’s end, but there’s clear market demand.

Memorable Quote:

“It would be interesting if they said, yeah, we’d love to just have a list of everything that was purchased so that we can thank everybody. But we would like it delayed because we’re moving after we get married or… after the baby gets here.”
—Melissa [E], 14:43

Related Insights

• Delayed delivery could help Amazon retain registry business.
• Expanding control over delivery timing would also cater to frequent travelers and busy professionals.

3. The USPS “in Your Grocery Store” Partnership

(Listener Fix from Kathy, 21:52–23:13)

Background

• USPS faces cuts and may suffer further when Amazon moves to self-delivery in 2026.
• The fix: USPS should put counters (or kiosks) in grocery stores, much like bank branches or in-store Starbucks.

Panel Reactions

• Kadira [D]: 23:13
  • Loves the idea; wonders why it hasn’t been done.
  • Notes big box stores (Walmart, etc.) already sublet space to different services.
  • Questions whether bureaucracy/budget at USPS slows down such innovation.
• Melissa [E]: 24:40
  • Remembers when checkout clerks sold stamps: “For a long time...you could get a book of stamps or even a roll of stamps.”
  • Cites the success of Amazon/Whole Foods returns at conveniently located kiosks and counters.
  • Thinks USPS should pilot kiosks first, then scale up based on demand.
• Erin [A]: 27:27
  • Suggests kiosks could fill the space left by now-obsolete Redbox machines or be positioned like Starbucks in grocers.
• Kadira [D]: 28:48
  • Sees Amazon’s move to its own delivery service as a play for control and efficiency, not necessarily to replace the USPS but to improve reliability and responsibility.

Notable Moment

• Panel agrees: USPS inside stores is a win-win for both customer convenience and USPS revenue.
• Also notes the value in seeing how such models (staffed counters vs. self-serve kiosks) perform.

Memorable Quote:

“That is how you kind of lean into it and then see like, ‘oh, you know, we’re getting a lot of traction here.’ And then maybe you do need a person there, maybe you don’t.”
—Melissa [E], 27:09

4. Uber: The Loyalty Program It’s Missing

(Listener Fix from Chris, 32:48–33:20)

Background

• Suggests Uber should introduce airline-style loyalty tiers (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum) with custom perks (priority pickup, surge protection, upgrades to Uber Comfort).

Panel Reactions

• Kadira [D]: 33:20
  • Uses Uber frequently and wishes for real loyalty rewards, especially for heavy users who face surge pricing.
• Melissa [E]: 34:12
  • “They have Uber One, a subscription, but it’s not the same as tiers with tangible perks.”
  • Customization based on user profile is key: commuters might prefer surge protection, late-nighters might value priority pickup, college students would want Uber Eats perks.
  • “You might even be willing to pay into that tier.”
• Kadira [D]: 35:39
  • Suggests usage-based thresholds: “You rode Uber ten times this month? Give me $25 off or an upgrade to Uber Black.”
  • Real perks could cultivate more high-end usage (“Once you get a taste of Uber Black, you don’t want to go back!”)
• Panel Ideas:
  • Cross-promotion with Uber Eats.
  • Personalization and segmentation (e.g., business commuter packages).
  • Surprise-and-delight benefits (“Book a standard, get an upgrade for free”).
  • Concierge and “experience-based” rewards for frequent travelers.
  • Use customer data to make predictions, offer experiences, recommend restaurants.

Memorable Quote:

“To me, it’s like moving from transactional—which is what it feels like right now: I want a car, come pick me up, drop me off, we’re done—versus… providing me with a well-rounded, full experience, and my ride is a part of that experience.”
—Kadira [D], 41:48

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Communication and Loyalty:
  “Communication is non-negotiable… If you can answer [why the change] with empathy and transparency, you’re going to take care of your customers through the change.”
  —Melissa [E], 05:09

• On Frustration with Loyalty Changes:
  “You get that petulant little kid feeling of, like, ‘Wait a minute, it’s not fair!’”
  —Erin [A], 07:59

• On Registry Shipping Delays:
  “That would be so cool. I don’t know if this exists. I feel like they probably are thinking about this…”
  —Kadira [D], 15:36

• On USPS/Grocery Store alliances:
  “That is how you kind of lean into it and then see like, oh, you know, we’re getting a lot of traction here. And then maybe you do need a person there, maybe you don’t.”
  —Melissa [E], 27:09

• On Uber Loyalty Programs:
  “I mean, one—Uber, hire Chris! But two, free game. This is some good free game right here.”
  —Kadira [D], 39:48

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:09] Carnival Cruises Loyalty Change – Kristen’s Fix
• [14:02] Amazon Registry Shipping Delay – Jack’s Fix
• [21:52] USPS in Grocery Stores – Kathy’s Fix
• [32:48] Uber Loyalty Tiers – Chris’s Fix

Panel’s Closing Thoughts

The episode’s unique crowdsourced format surfaces real customer pain points with refreshing candor. The panel emphasizes:

• Creativity and empathy are essential when overhauling loyalty programs.
• Companies that wield their data wisely can offer flexible, “menu-based” perks and personalized experiences.
• Delivery innovations—whether from Amazon, USPS, or Uber—should always bend toward the customer’s needs.
• Seemingly small tweaks (delayed shipping; in-grocery postal kiosks; loyalty tiers) can translate into significant customer goodwill, if designed and communicated with integrity.

Final Note:
If you have your own “fix,” or want to guest on the show, email myfix@wefixeditpod.com.