A Wren Says

It’s the phrase that has become the bane of the service worker’s existence: The customer is always right. Those five words have been stretched to justify a string of bad behaviors and to push workers to do anything to placate dissatisfied, and rude, customers. But, I personally don’t believe that’s what we should be using the phrase for.

I don’t think the customer’s behavior is always right, and certainly don’t think they should be treated as such. But there is still truth to the phrase, because your customers are always right about what they think. That is what we should pay attention to.

As we try to shift towards user centered design strategies, the goal is to make a product that better fits our customers’ needs. The problem is that it’s hard to do that without involving the customer. You have to invite them into the process. If you want to know what your customers’ think, you have to ask them.

If you want to innovate based on what your customers need and want, ask them what they need and want. If you want to know how they will experience a product, bring them in to experience the product. If you want to know what your customers think you have to ask them.

If you want be user centered, you have to centered, center user feedback. Your customers may not always be right, but just this one time, they definitely are.