Although customer's lack of knowledge can make our job easier ;-), it does inversely affect the quality of our deliverables. Secondly, an inappropriately informed or knowledged customer affects our customer satisfaction index adversely in the long run. In wake of this,isn't educating the customer the right way is the way forward than simply committing that customer is right? Your thoughts on it, please. Saving Changes...
Arul, you brought up a very interesting discussion. I feel customer knowledge and customer satisfaction does have a relationship and if so, quality of deliverable is directly proportional to customer satisfaction. Now to relate customer knowledge with customer satisfaction, a gap that exists can only be filled by understanding the customer, elicitation of their requirements and exploring their knowledge base and expectations about the deliverable. When you can establish this relationship, it is ever possible that customer will not be satisfied. It will serve to improve rather enhance the product quality as you have just not simply agreed to whatever customer has asked but have, in a way educated customer to give you appropriate and realistic requirements about the deliverable, which are mutually agreed before work can be started. Blindly saying and believing that customer is right, is not right. But customer is always right, you as a project manager are wrong if you blindly believe whatever customer says, make whatever customer says realistic by relating it to their knowledge base and reaching an agreement on requirements. Hope I have not confused you any further. Saving Changes...
Good one, Suhail. That's educative. Keep sharing your knowledge. Saving Changes...
PARAG KANDEKARVP Operations| SoftNice IncAllentown, Pa, United States
We should start the project in such a way which would ensure successful END. If we say YES at the start without educating and correcting the client then we can only start the project successfully. This starts building problems and challenges in the project execution.
I believe if we are transparent on GAP with the client at the start of the project- we can ensure their ownership in the decision and possible risks in execution so that both - client and we work together as team and avoid blame-game in the later stage.
Dear Parag,
In a way yes. When you look at customer's knowledge about scope or what he really wants is really good, we just deliver on one parameter of the triple constraint but I am talking about the other parameter "the quality". Here I am talking about the lack of customer's knowledge in just about everything . That's where it hurts more. Some of the customers are not sure about even the the best quality and cost of quality. So it becomes imperative that we educate them. Have you had such experiences and how you overcame them? Saving Changes...
PARAG KANDEKARVP Operations| SoftNice IncAllentown, Pa, United States
Hey Arul, when I say we need to educate and take the client on board its for all parameters for all project plan paramerts - scope, timeline, quality - we need to negotiate with client on all the parameters which are critical to make the project successful.
When I say negotiate - it does not mean argument but it means some agreement where all involved parties are in agreement.
Educating client means having open discussion with client rather than just saying YES to client whatever he/she is saying. Have open discussion, put your points assertively. Discuss, agree on minimum points. Keep some points for further time-bound discussion. And we should discuss again to come up with next agreement and strategy. This makes you more in partner mode rather than vendor mode.
That's why we say PM do 90% communication.
I did write something @ negotiation which may be helpful to relate above content.
Julie JohnsonStrategic Solutions Officer| Kent county CouncilKent, United Kingdom
Working with the customer at the start of the project to understand their requirements and to help them to understand the project constraints will avoid issues at a later stage. I see this as a two way education process. The project manager learns what is most important to the customer, whether it is cost, scope/quality or time and the customer is able to understand the options and choices that they have. I think that part of this is making sure the customer and the project team learn to question each other rather than making assumptions, as they might be using the same words but with different meanings. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
The big mistake most of the people make is thinking "customer do no know about this" (please, Arul, I am not saying you are part of that people). Customer always know about what they need. Quality is affected when somebody who is working on determine customer needs thinks that. But this is an "ancient" problem. That is because a new role (in fact not new in the industry but could be considered new for the PMI) emerges: the business analyst role. And more on that: the PMI has changed the word "requirements collection" to "requirements elicitation". The customer has the knowledge but she/he sometimes can not articulate it. And quality is creating the product/service/result the customer needs and fits for her/his use. The art is to understand that we are accountable to transform needs into requirements. Saving Changes...
Dear Segio,
Have you heard about sales? How do people sell their products? Have you heard about Marketing?Why do companies market anything?
If you think customers know everything, it is like saying patients know their medicines not doctors. Do you know what kind scenario we are in by simply trusting customers know everything? We need to educate them about the product and quality of product. And to me that's customer service. Saving Changes...
You are right. You used a good word "understanding customer needs" and "customer understanding us". Both happens in negotiation. But still I think the right word to use to drive our discussion is "to educate".
