A Salute to Companies Sticking to Their Guns

Posted on August 11th, 2010 by Eric Dodds and currently 5 commenting.

I’d like to share a few thoughts that have been floating around in my head – I might re-visit them in more depth later, but I think a little discussion could be a good thing – even if they’re in rough form.

The fact that voices of customers are online and discoverable is quite amazing – companies everywhere are learning more about how which people view, use and talk about their brand, products, experiences, etc.

I think, though, that this ‘power of voice’ is a double-edged sword. One reason is because, as Joshua Blankenship points out (1), the ability to comment on the internet can reveal just how mean people are. Another reason, though, is that I think the knowledge that a company can hear your voice has also given people the ability to complain like they’ve never complained before. Complaining can be good; the ability to discover a customer’s bad experience and mend a relationship is invaluable, and the internet has allowed companies to meet needs in incredible ways. But it also seems that some customers have hijacked the idea that “the customer is always right” as an excuse to complain about or demand unreasonable things en masse, using the information swarm of the internet as the vehicle for their voices.

A few examples:

Salute 1: MG Siegler wrote an interesting article (2) related to feature demand – his discussion of the iPhone ‘copy and paste’ outcry is an interesting example of a company sticking to their guns despite negative outcry from their customers. (Side note, this is not a discussion of details about Apple’s feature release or the iPhone as a device, it is a reflection on their devotion to user experience):

Jobs cited the iPhone’s cut, copy, & paste functionality as one example of Apple getting a feature right. I have to agree. For two years, everyone complained (myself included) that Apple didn’t have this functionality. Could Apple have done it sooner? Of course. But would it have been half-baked? Probably. Just look at how it works on other devices — or maybe I should say: look at how poorly it works on other devices compared to the iPhone.

Release details, timelines, opinions on devices, and even outcome aside, Apple’s devotion to user experience should be saluted. Customers complained and demanded the feature, but Apple didn’t give in to public opinion (have they ever?) – they stuck to their guns and released the functionality when it was consistent with the user experience that is their brand.

Salute 2: I first heard about Intelligentsia Coffee after Geno and Heather had visited on a trip to Los Angeles. Geno’s description was so interesting to me – “When I ordered, they made it the way they think a latte should be made, and that’s what I got.”

After a little bit more digging, I found out that the company’s founder, Doug Zell, has an intense devotion to “providing coffee in the way it tastes best.” (3) His devotion has led to the removal of the 20oz. drink size form their menu – a move that will allow users to experience coffee in an amount that doesn’t allow for unbalanced ratios (like the larger sizes do).

In a market where major coffee brands are marketing all sorts of options (more variety of flavors, consistent introduction of new types of drinks, etc.), Intelligentsia deserves a salute for their commitment to providing the best coffee experience possible, even if that means decreasing options for customers.

Salute 3: Google offeres several phone features (phone number, voicemail, SMS) through a service called Google Voice. All of the features are used through an internet browser and, following suit with most of Google’s offerings, it’s free.

Not so long ago, there were rumors in the techno-sphere that Google was going to release an actual desktop application for Google Voice, and potential users rejoiced. The project came to a halt, though, when Google’s founders questioned whether a desktop application was consistent for a company who developed browser-only technology.

Blogs ranted about the injustice of halting the project and a petition to continue development circulated.

But Google’s internal struggle to continually evaluate their brand and clearly define which types of technology they want to develop should be saluted.

What do you think? Have customers always complained and demanded as much as they do today, or has the visibility of their voices on the internet just made us more aware of it? Any other good examples of a company staying true to their brand despite complaining and demanding customers?

• (1) – Joshua Blankenship’s article, “On the State of Comments on the Internet,” can be found here.
• (2) -  MG Seigler’s feature-demand example can be found in his article, “What’s Missing From iPhone 4 Is Part Of What Makes It Great,” here.
• (3) – Read The Chicago Tribune’s coverage of Intelligentsia’s decision to decrease options here.