The customer is (and should be) the center of your universe. Every decision you make, every dollar you spend should somehow be tied to them. It’s said all the time that the customer is always right. You don’t question their preferences. If they like something, you produce more of it. If they hate something, you get rid of it. It’s so simple. Right?
Wrong! What if the customer is always right except when they don’t know they’re wrong. Wait. Huh? What if a customer says they don’t want something because they don’t know they want it yet? Do you think that people 20 years ago knew they wanted a device that played movies on discs (much less play movies on a portable device). Did any customer know they wanted to play a guitar on a video game system 8 years ago? If you’d showed them something way back then with DVD technology or Guitar Hero, they probably would have said “I don’t want or need that.”
When you think about it, innovators and marketers have an extremely difficult task. We have to think of products that customers want and need, before they even know they want or need it. It doesn’t stop here either. Once you find it, you have to hold onto it until the customer knows they want it. The time has to be right. Example A: Satellite Radio. A lot of customers out there still don’t know they want or need it. Some have discovered it, but it’s yet to really take off. The secret is to help the customers discover why they want it.
It’s risky. Sometimes you’re going to get it wrong and customers aren’t going to give a flying fudge bar about your “cutting edge invention” (HD radio, anyone?). Sometimes you may jump the gun and put a product out there before customers are ready. But every now and then, you’ll nail it. You’ll be the first to think of that next innovation. You’ll make it to where the customers are dying for it and you give it to them right when they’re ready for it.
Nobody hits a hole in one every time, but that doesn’t stop people from trying.
This post was inspired by the first chapter of the book I’m currently reading “Chasing Cool.”
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is so true, but it’s a tough discipline to understand. Most business owners need to buy into the notion that customer is always right or they’ll be terrible at customer service. That said, tests and survey’s and stuff about what your customer wants are usually a disaster because the truth is they usually don’t know until a they see it.
You need something to consistently bring the cash so you can afford to take lots of risks. McDonald’s mastered the hamburger (eventhough they’re gross) and speedy service. They could afford to take risks, and they did. A lot of the products they rolled out didn’t take, but finally coffee did. You can miss more often than most people realize if you’re already profitable, and you can hit big once.
R
Ah, such a good point Jackie! When I first started reading I assumed it was when the customer is actually wrong and doesn’t know that the service/product they’re complaining about actually is a wrong description or it does exist when they think it doesn’t etc. I’ve had those moments where they’re literally wrong in their fact, then I kindly correct them and they apologize. Gah!
In your case, we’re talking about innovation. I think it’s such a great distinction, especially in the mind of marketers. I’m excited to see what others think. Thanks for sharing and great idea!
Right, that’s a distinction I didn’t really touch on in the post. In terms of customer service, the customer IS always right. You’re also right that this is a risky move. If I had a choice, I’d definitely choose to use this strategy as a company who is successful and trying to stay ahead of the competition over using it as something to really get a company off the ground.
Got your attention didn’t it
It’s definitely an idea that isn’t exactly intuitive, and I must admit, I got a lot of the content from the book “Chasing Cool” which i just started reading. It’s really good so far (after 2 chapters)!