Back in November, I shared a LinkedIn post about something I noticed at nearly every restaurant I visited in Mexico City: purse and backpack hangers tucked neatly under the table.
Such a small thing.
Such a thoughtful fix.
It solves a problem a large portion of the population has when dining out: where do you put your bag?
What surprised me wasn’t the hanger itself — it was the response.
In the comments, women in particular started sharing how frustrating this problem is — and all the ways they’ve learned to work around it.
One person mentioned she carries a table hook with her, just in case.
Another explained she switched to crossbody bags entirely to reduce the mental load.
Someone else pointed out that good bars install hooks because less friction means customers stay longer and spend more.
One line in particular stayed with me:
“It should be the restaurant’s job to solve — not mine.”
That’s the heart of it.
Out of curiosity, I went to Reddit and found multiple threads where women asked other women the same question: what do you do with your handbag at a restaurant?
The answers were practical.
Creative.
Exhausting.
Like this one:
This is the order I've usually followed: beside me on booth or bench seating > on an extra chair, which you should be able to request for yourself and the other ladies in your group, too (some fancy restaurants usually have a raised basket specifically for handbags) > hung just underneath the table if there's a built in hook or with a keychain-like hook I've seen some ladies bring with them > between your back and the back of the chair if you must > At this point it's the restaurant's job to best accommodate you.
What struck me wasn’t the ingenuity — it was the pattern.
Customers were solving a friction problem on behalf of the business.
And this happens far more often than we think.
When friction is common enough, people adapt. They bring tools. They change what they buy. They lower expectations. Or they quietly opt out.
But from a business standpoint, it’s risky to rely on customers to solve problems in your experience for you.
Most customers don’t want to problem-solve with someone they’re paying.
They’d rather go somewhere else — or stay home — than pay for frustration.
The challenge is this:
You can’t fix friction you don’t know exists.
And just because customers aren’t telling you about it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Most of the people sharing on LinkedIn or in Reddit threads aren’t complaining directly to restaurants. They’re adapting instead.
I know I am.
I’ve never complained to a restaurant about the lack of a clear place to put my bag — even though it frustrates me every time the answer isn’t obvious.
That’s why it’s critical to actively look for where your customer experience creates friction. Not just by listening for complaints, but by paying attention to behavior. What are customers working around? What small annoyances have they normalized? Conduct an
, and see what you uncover.
It’s also important to examine friction through the lens of identity.
Because that purse problem?
It doesn’t exist for customers who don’t carry bags.
My husband or my dad would never name this as an issue — not because it isn’t real, but because it doesn’t apply to them.
Identity matters.
And the people who feel friction first are often the ones businesses overlook.
Because the moment customers start adapting around your experience, they’re already doing work your business should have done first.
Word on the Street
According to AdWeek, advertisers are struggling to reach diverse consumers amid declining representation. Consumers want to buy from brands who “see them” and who make it clear that their product is for “people like them.” If consumers don’t see “people like them” in ads — many receive the signal that the product, isn’t for “people like them.”
Consumers are increasingly rejecting assimilation. They are leaning more into their identities instead — and expect that brands will acknowledge that differences exist. That’s one of five important marketing shifts that impacting brand growth strategy in 2026. Listen to details on all 5 shifts on Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Data shows that the ROI of traditional growth marketing strategies is diminishing. Here’s why its happening and how to fix it
Talk soon,
Sonia