Comments on: “We do what the customers ask for.” http://www.redmonk.com/cote/2006/09/20/we-do-what-the-customers-ask-for/ One foot in the muck, the other in utopia Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:26:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Morten http://www.redmonk.com/cote/2006/09/20/we-do-what-the-customers-ask-for/#comment-9926 Morten Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:02:50 +0000 http://www.redmonk.com/cote/wp/?p=381#comment-9926 Hi, just stumbled upon your blog. Enjoying it so far and just thought I'd throw a comment at this. My experience is that you cannot simply make decisions for the customer. You have to a very good job of explaining the situation for them and have them realise themselves the better solution. Also I have on numerous accounts hit a wall of company policy issues which makes me, as a consultant, incapable of persuading a customer to go down a different path. But then again, I've just recently seen an IT consultant sell a customer a system architecture which they basically didn't need. The result was a price tag much over the budget and a very ill functioning system. So your making the decisions on behalf of the customer also means that you have to be completely into the customers demands. This might be a bit basic, but I have encountered some situations where the customer does not only know exactly was he or she wants (usually the case) but also is withholding some information (not on purpose) that might be very relevant. Hi, just stumbled upon your blog. Enjoying it so far and just thought I’d throw a comment at this.

My experience is that you cannot simply make decisions for the customer. You have to a very good job of explaining the situation for them and have them realise themselves the better solution. Also I have on numerous accounts hit a wall of company policy issues which makes me, as a consultant, incapable of persuading a customer to go down a different path.

But then again, I’ve just recently seen an IT consultant sell a customer a system architecture which they basically didn’t need. The result was a price tag much over the budget and a very ill functioning system. So your making the decisions on behalf of the customer also means that you have to be completely into the customers demands. This might be a bit basic, but I have encountered some situations where the customer does not only know exactly was he or she wants (usually the case) but also is withholding some information (not on purpose) that might be very relevant.

]]> By: Gabriel http://www.redmonk.com/cote/2006/09/20/we-do-what-the-customers-ask-for/#comment-495 Gabriel Fri, 22 Sep 2006 21:15:42 +0000 http://www.redmonk.com/cote/wp/?p=381#comment-495 I believe there's a big difference in what the customer wants and what the customer needs, and there lies the problem. I believe there’s a big difference in what the customer wants and what the customer needs, and there lies the problem.

]]> By: Cote' http://www.redmonk.com/cote/2006/09/20/we-do-what-the-customers-ask-for/#comment-494 Cote' Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:20:18 +0000 http://www.redmonk.com/cote/wp/?p=381#comment-494 Ric: yes, that's an excellent correction on the point. Yuh! Robert: Is there anything Ford <i>didn't</i> say? Ric: yes, that’s an excellent correction on the point. Yuh!
Robert: Is there anything Ford didn’t say?

]]> By: Robert http://www.redmonk.com/cote/2006/09/20/we-do-what-the-customers-ask-for/#comment-493 Robert Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:56:51 +0000 http://www.redmonk.com/cote/wp/?p=381#comment-493 It reminds me of the Henry Ford quote I use all the time. "If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse." It reminds me of the Henry Ford quote I use all the time. “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.”

]]> By: Ric http://www.redmonk.com/cote/2006/09/20/we-do-what-the-customers-ask-for/#comment-492 Ric Thu, 21 Sep 2006 02:02:24 +0000 http://www.redmonk.com/cote/wp/?p=381#comment-492 In my experience, the customer will only know what they DON'T want after they've seen something to help them crystallise their thinking - which is where Agile methodologies are valuable in getting something in front of the client and eliciting rapid feedback. In my experience, the customer will only know what they DON’T want after they’ve seen something to help them crystallise their thinking - which is where Agile methodologies are valuable in getting something in front of the client and eliciting rapid feedback.

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