08/24/2026
Service Businesses: Let me give you a real-life example of friction in your brand.
My husband recently received an itemized receipt / checklist for services performed on one of our vehicles. The problem was that some of those services were not performed. We didn't ASK for them to be performed, but this business provided a printed checklist of "all they had done." Why include items clearly not touched?
Rather than over-delivering (as they could have done so easily based on their checklist!), they absolutely underdelivered. Upon reading the services checked off that hadn't been rendered, it made us feel a twinge of dishonesty. They said something that just wasn't true. It didn't leave us feeling good about the business.
This friction had nothing to do with their logo or colors or website, but still had EVERYTHING to do with their BRAND.
Removing the friction in this case would be to update the checklist to reflect only what was actually done - nothing more.
Because here's the thing: an accurate checklist doesn't just avoid a lie. It's proof. It's the business saying, "you can believe what we tell you," without ever having to say it out loud.
That's the brand.
So look at your own "checklist"... the emails you send, the forms you hand a client, the "what's included" on your website. Is it telling the truth? Or is it dressed up to look more impressive than what's actually happening?
Friction isn't always a bad review. Sometimes it's a checkmark that shouldn't be there.