What “Customer Centric” Really Means, According to Rachel Wynn
Product leader Rachel Wynn talks about why being customer centric is more than just about gathering consumer feedback.
By Tremis Skeete, for Product Coalition
Genuine product managers are not just focused on building and delivering services. For many, it goes much deeper.
Many product managers are on a mission to improve the lives of their consumers, and principal product consultant, Rachel Wynn feels that as product managers, we need to think twice about taking customer feedback at face value.
Instead, she suggests in her LinkedIn post that product managers must dig deeper and investigate, to discover the insights behind the feedback.
While it’s smart to review survey responses, marketing analytics, consumer orders, comments, and social media posts; To get to the insights that can lead to building products that delight consumers — product managers still need to uncover the kind of feedback that can’t be measured i.e. “insights”.
Being customer centric is not just about creating a product for consumers.
It’s about how you create a valuable product experience for consumers.
This is why a focus on the product vision is important.
Making product decisions driven by the vision, ensures that decisions made on behalf of consumers, is always aligned with how the business believes the product can improve the lives of its consumers.
Read a copy of Rachel’s LinkedIn post below to learn more:
I had lunch with a friend today who is coaching a team of product managers to think about the customer feedback they receive prior to putting the request on the roadmap.
It’s challenging. Whether you are an experienced product manager or a founder building a product, you want to build something valuable to customers.
If you want to be customer centric, it can be tempting to take a customers’ suggestion and run with it and not think twice.
Denis Morton is one of my favorite Peloton Interactive cycling instructors. Not only is his music choice excellent but he’s always encouraging cyclists to listen to their own bodies. (Do you need to slow down today? Push harder?)
He’s always saying “I make suggestions. You make decisions.”
Think about your customers’ feedback in the same way. They make suggestions. You make decisions.
You decide if it’s the right thing for the product vision and strategy, the future of the company, etc.
Being customer centric means deeply understanding our customers. It doesn’t mean filling every customer request.
Being customer centric means delivering something even better than customers imagined.
