Listening to the voice of the customer isn’t something you turn off.

My own customer journey informs the considerations for users when building products.

Lately, my fitness tracker shuts down repeatedly, including when the battery is over 50% charged. This requires a manual restart by plugging it into the charging cable. Every. Single. Time.

What are my expectations as a customer?

➡️ Use: The product works so I can track my activities.
➡️ Support: The customer support process is clear and the team explains the root cause and promptly resolves the issue.

What were the gaps?

➡️ Use: I can’t track my activities consistently when the device shuts off. I don’t have accurate data to review trends.
➡️ Support: Emails bounced but responses to my direct messages were prompt. The team shared multiple links to troubleshoot manually. However, use of data to determine the health of the device would have caused less friction.

The solution?

The support team didn’t say what the issue was, what caused it or if it could have been resolved. Instead, the suggestion was to use a discount code to buy a new device.

The Takeaway?

Experiences like this one make me consider the entire product lifecycle in building products. The job isn’t done when the customer unboxes the product or uses it for a year. Even after a product reaches its end of life from the company’s perspective, there will be customers who still use the product.

What is the customer experience at each touchpoint in the journey?

💡 Have a plan for each touchpoint
💡 Have a plan for new and existing customers
💡 Have a plan for new and existing products in the portfolio

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What’s your experience across the product lifecycle of your favorite product ? Share in the comments below!

Dasanj Aberdeen

Dasanj Aberdeen is an entrepreneurial spirit who embodies the combination of left-brain logic and right-brain creativity. She is a consultant and proponent of multidisciplinary education, approaches and pursuits. She writes about their benefits in modern times and integrating multiple interests into a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. She’s a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University with a concentration in Technology & Innovation Management, jointly delivered by the Fox School of Business and College of Engineering.

Customers don’t care about a product’s technology.

They are not interested in which API is called or how digital a company is.

What do they care about? 🤔

💡They care about what’s in it for them.

💡They care that the product solves their problem or addresses their needs and provides benefits.

Here are some common benefits:

1. Convenience – Customers want to save time and for things to be made easier.

2. Peace of mind – Customers want to feel safe and protected.

3. Quality – Customers want a certain standard and degree of excellence.

4. Productivity – Customers want to get more done.

5. Usability – Customers want an intuitive design and experience.

💡 These days, customers have a voice and a choice.

💡They care about the value they’ll derive from a product.

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What else do you see customers value?

Dasanj Aberdeen

Dasanj Aberdeen is an entrepreneurial spirit who embodies the combination of left-brain logic and right-brain creativity. She is a consultant and proponent of multidisciplinary education, approaches and pursuits. She writes about their benefits in modern times and integrating multiple interests into a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. She’s a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University with a concentration in Technology & Innovation Management, jointly delivered by the Fox School of Business and College of Engineering.

Where should product managers focus?

On understanding the customer’s problem.

Why?

This uncovers what the problem truly is.

It also surfaces what the problem is not and dispels assumptions.

The outcome?

Context and clarity to brainstorm solutions.

And land on the best solution to provide value to customers.

What differences do you see when PMs take the time to understand the problem vs. when they don’t?

Read more here in this Forbes article.

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What do you think? I would love to hear below.

Dasanj Aberdeen

Dasanj Aberdeen is an entrepreneurial spirit who embodies the combination of left-brain logic and right-brain creativity. She is a consultant and proponent of multidisciplinary education, approaches and pursuits. She writes about their benefits in modern times and integrating multiple interests into a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. She’s a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University with a concentration in Technology & Innovation Management, jointly delivered by the Fox School of Business and College of Engineering.