I recently got a new table saw made by SawStop and have spent several hours over the past few days assembling it. Although it’s taken a some time, it was a pleasant experience because the instructions and packaging were so well done. Unpacking sheets were at the top of boxes, hardware was package with color coding/numbering and instructions were on large color sheets with easy to read text and pictures. There’s a lot to assemble, but by simply following color coding and numbering schemes that matched across instructions, packaging and hardware, assembly was a pleasant experience.
This got me thinking about all the terrible experiences I’ve had assembling or setting up purchases, from furniture and DSL service to opening routine plastic packages (thank you Amazon for trying to fix this). Companies are paying a little more attention to assembly and setup design today, but it’s still woefully inadequate. They go to all this trouble and expense convincing you to purchase a product, but give little thought to the experience you’re going to have trying to use it for the first time. Do they care if they waste your time or make your blood boil? You’ve made the purchase and you’ll fight through like the good little consumer you are.
I believe the tide is turning here, but only market innovators realize this and are getting ahead of the curve. Consumers will increasingly lean towards products and services that are easy to open, setup and assemble because their access to reviews and purchase options continue to expand. (I’m reminded here about how I used to go to the library to look through magazines for product reviews before making a purchase. Wow.)
No matter what type of product or service your company provides, consider whether you are an innovator in this area. Are you dramatically leading rather than frantically following? Are you letting a competitor, maybe even an unknown start-up, differentiate themselves at the expense of your market share? Time is not on your side. Consumers are not on your side. If you make the first use of your product or service unnecessarily challenging, consumers will find someone else to purchase from.
Gather a small team at your company to investigate, strictly from the consumer’s perspective, how enjoyable and effortless getting to the first use of your product or service really is. Listen to their feedback, make needed changes and transform this critical interaction into an experience consumers will praise.
By the way, for anyone looking for a great table saw, and one that has an amazing safety feature to reduce the risk of injury from the most dangerous piece of equipment in a wood shop, I definitely recommend that you take a look at SawStop‘s line of table saws. You’ll love the saw, it could save your fingers and it won’t raise your blood pressure during setup and assembly.
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