Innovation is key to improving the customer experience. Innovation can sometimes mean experimenting and seeing what sticks. This week, there were a few great examples of trying stuff – sometimes without thinking things through, or, worse, without listening to their customers.
I don’t even know where to start here, but this blog from Harvard Business Review does a nice job summing it up. I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall when these decisions were made. “I know! Let’s change the name!” This is a prime example of, as my client used to say, putting lipstick on a pig.
Groupon is Great. Or Not. Maybe. Not Sure.
Groupon is in the news a lot lately. For one, customers aren’t clicking like they used to. For two, how many competitors are there now? I’m thinking it’s somewhere around 1.6 million, but that’s a guess. And finally, the numbers they reported aren’t exactly reflecting an honest culture. Full disclosure: I like Groupon deals. I like everyone I’ve met who works there, without exception. But it’s hard to overlook the news lately. BNet breaks it down.
Google+ v. Facebook
There are pros and cons to each experience, but at least they’re trying. Innovation is happening quite a bit on both platforms, and I do believe that will create an improved experience for users across the board.
How do you innovate? How do you listen to customers when you do?
Photo credit Into the Wild via Creative Commons
