There isn’t just satisfaction and dissatisfaction, there’s non-satisfaction and non-dissatisfaction too. It’s important to know the difference.
I did some research once on bank customers and found out that they weren’t hoping for satisfaction, just no dissatisfaction. And it really made me think.
Some things satisfy;
- Food
- Entertainment
- Travel
- Sports
- Friends
- Dancing
Some web businesses satisfy;
And some things you just want to not be noticed;
- Cleaning
- Banking
- Administration
- Paying bills
Some web businesses are about ‘not-dissatisfying’;
- Online backup
- Live In Australia (online visas – though when you get the visa you’re very happy)
- Google Docs
- Search?
When was the last time you said “Wow, this hotel room is so clean – I’m really happy!”
Here is a bit of a chart to show you what I mean:
It’s useful to think of your product and features according to these. Is this feature going to make them happy or is it just going to make them mad if it doesn’t work? Of course this is all in the eye of the beholder, so perception is everything here.
“But what about focus?”
Yes, focus is key here. Can you imagine if you put more than one type of customer on this chart and tried to keep them all happy? You can’t. Start with one, make them very happy AND not unhappy, then move on.
Your Turn
Tell me where your product fits here.
It is a good point. To me the good (ie satisfying and not dissatisfying) are required with every business. But I like to think of them as two seperate things:
Not disatisfying is like a minimum category expectation. The cost of entry. The fee to play. An example is minimum safety requirements with a car.
Satisfying is what creates value and differentiation, and hopefully financial success for the owners.
To me many companies get away with ‘Not dissatisfying’ when the barriers to entry are high for people who can change the game. Which is why banks can keep on doing what they do, and merely being acceptable. The barriers to entry are so high, and our need for security makes us accept the minimum.
In the world of the web, I really think not dissatisfying isn’t enough. In the long run firms who just do this will get eaten up, because the barriers to entry are so low. And when barriers are low, you have to be awesome or you’ll be replaced.
Steve.
http://www.rentoid.com