[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/03\/10\/owning-the-interface-when-the-broker-becomes-the-brand-2\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/03\/10\/owning-the-interface-when-the-broker-becomes-the-brand-2\/","headline":"Owning the interface \u2013 when the broker becomes the brand","name":"Owning the interface \u2013 when the broker becomes the brand","description":"For startups trying to be the next Uber, the interface actually IS the big idea. What does this mean for service culture?","datePublished":"2016-03-10","dateModified":"2022-01-11","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jamie-anderson\/#Person","name":"Jamie Anderson","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jamie-anderson\/","identifier":119,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/249ae804963762332acd20e644bfe865782bee3d64ee223d5dd6a28e548b47b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/249ae804963762332acd20e644bfe865782bee3d64ee223d5dd6a28e548b47b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/thumbnail-87bbcae7c5ad112788b4cdfb6a8a0b95.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/thumbnail-87bbcae7c5ad112788b4cdfb6a8a0b95.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/03\/10\/owning-the-interface-when-the-broker-becomes-the-brand-2\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]}],"wordCount":359,"keywords":["Customer Engagement","Customer Service","Uber"],"articleBody":"Uber didn\u2019t just disrupt the market, it caved the doors in.I can\u2019t think of any other startup that has led to Presidential Decree, arrests and riots. All around the world, it fired the debate over innovation and the \u2018new\u2019 economy versus the stasis and complacency of the “old.” Of course there\u2019s an irony to the way that by bringing innovation to the market, it has opened itself up to accusations of monopoly. Nominative determinism at its finest.What there can be no doubt about, though, is that it shows that startups really can shoulder their way into regulated industry. It wasn\u2019t a one-sided thing. Uber simply offered a better service. Consumers voted with their feet. Behind the aggression and the veil of regulation that shelter the status quo, a pair of frightened eyes stare back, terrified that the game is changing and they don\u2019t know the rules.The magic of Uber isn\u2019t in its service or its business idea, but its interface. Cab companies and private drivers exist all over the world \u2013 and many have had online booking for some time. But, by acting as a broker in a highly fragmented market and by making things easier for suppliers as well as clients, its platform enables both sides of the market.Its success in making this happen comes down to terrific user engagement rather than a unique offering. It\u2019s less-controversial cousins \u2013 AirBnb and even Tinder, not to mention a host of imitators such as the Dry Cleaner App and Bizzby, with their generic, one-size-fits-all websites \u2013 have all changed things, but they also mean a dilution for customer service.When the broker becomes the brand, the real risk is that customer centricity suddenly drops. Perhaps fine if all you need to do is get people from A to B, but when the guardians of quality are disenfranchised you rely on consumers to tell you when things have already gone wrong.  Relationship status: Complicated.AI in e-commerce is critical, but obstacles around data privacy, talent, and integration are slowing adoption. Our powerhouse panel has the stats + strategies you’re looking for. Register HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2016","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/03\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Owning the interface \u2013 when the broker becomes the brand","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/03\/10\/owning-the-interface-when-the-broker-becomes-the-brand-2\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]