how to create a customer-driven culture

DAWN NIDY // EXPERIENCE DESIGN LEADER

KRISTY AVGERINOS // USER RESEARCHER

How to Create a Customer-Driven Culture

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOMER-DRIVEN CULTURE

ABOUT INTUIT



MISSION:To improve our customers’ financial lives so profoundly…they can’t imagine going back to the old way

ABOUT OUR TEAM JOURNEYUX

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THE MAGIC HAPPENS WHEN DEVELOPERS GET AND SEE CUSTOMER PAIN… THE BIGGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF INNOVATION IS TYPICALLY THE ENGINEERS. THEY KNOW WHAT’S POSSIBLE BETTER THAN ANYONE

- MARTY CAGAN 6

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7

Stage 1: Understand &

Embrace

Stage 2: Practice &

Build Muscle

Stage 3: Empathy is in our DNA

We bring it to you:Sharing Customer Insights

Customer Panels“Empathy Kits”

We coach & help you:

Interview & Research Guides Skills Workshops

Sprint Team Coaching

We provide support:Advanced Skills Workshops

Customer RecruitingEnable Insight Sharing

STAGE 1: UNDERSTAND AND EMBRACE


METHODS

METHOD #1: CUSTOMER PANELS


CUSTOMER PANELS: PROS/CONSPROS

Can get a wide representation of customer segments Can bring customers to a large audienceA skilled facilitator can elicit a wide range of attitudesBrings the outside in

CONS

Only represents what customers say, not what they doCustomers may be intimidated by a large audience (select participants carefully and prep them)Customers can feel judged or compared


LLL

HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

ATTRIBUTES TO CONSIDER:

METHOD #2: CUSTOMER VIDEOS


MEET MARY (VIDEO)


https://www.dropbox.com/s/t4mll5s5v99fsze/Mary%20Revised%20Short%20Cut.mp4?dl=0




EMPLOYEE REACTIONS

CREATE A CUSTOMER-DRIVEN CULTURE THAT INSPIRES A LARGE ORGANIZATION

I don't think Mary was a good use case. She clearly didn't have a business-oriented mindset.

Mary still did not possess enough knowledge on using QuickBooks after being a small business owner over an year.

They have a lot of passion towards their work. I feel motivated to work to make it simpler for them to pursue their passion without the burden of external factors.

We need to do lot more to actually help our customers live their passion.

It brings to light how complicated just keeping the financials are for small businesses. And this is on top of the actual product or service they are providing.

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CUSTOMER VIDEOS: PROS/CONSPROS

Skilled interviewing and good editing results in videos that lead to deep empathyCan show the context of a customer’s life to a large audience Brings customer insights to life (their own words are powerful!)

CONS

Video editing is time-consumingSome customers are intimidated by the camera


ATTRIBUTES TO CONSIDER:LLL

HHH

ImpactExpenseTime


Method #3: Emotional Analogies

CONFIDENTIAL

16

Collecting and Sorting Mountains of PaperworkAccountant Pain in Collecting & Sorting Data

ROLE PLAYING: ACCOUNTANT ACTIVITY



ACCOUNTANT ACTIVITY VIDEO

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pilxrjanxgnmmjc/Accountant%20Activity%20Video.mp4?dl=0






ACCOUNTANT ROLE PLAYING - REACTIONS

I could feel the urgency in getting the activity completed which reflects the reality of tax deadlines.

Accountants are more flexible than I thought – I had a stigma that they are stuck in their ways, but I had to pivot a lot during the exercise depending on the clients, and it made me realize that Accountants have to adjust to accommodate their clients.


How did this make you feel?

Stressful. Rushed. Time Pressed. Frustrated.Mary made me mad.

“ ”“ ”

14 MILLION AMERICANS ARE UNEMPLOYED.

NOW IMAGINE YOU’RE ONE OF THEM. YOUR

SAVINGS ARE GONE. YOU’VE LOST YOUR

HOUSE. AND YOU’RE DOWN TO YOUR LAST

$1,000. CAN YOU MAKE IT THROUGH THE

MONTH?

“—PLAYSPENT.ORG ”

EMPLOYEE REACTIONS VIDEO


https://www.dropbox.com/s/r5e0ni4sdk5t1na/IgniteCompilationVideo.mp4?dl=0




EMOTIONAL ANALOGIES: PROS/CONSPROS

Can replicate the same emotion a customer would feel without recreating the exact situation and/or requiring subject matter expertiseCan develop deep empathy in a short amount of timeCreates the opportunity for reflection and understanding

CONS

Can be expensive and time-consuming to createNeeds careful planning to execute well and be believable, otherwise people can fixate on the flaws



HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

24

MAKING RESEARCH EXPERIENTIAL : DEVELOPERS

Context was a large-scale contextual inquiry study with 18 internal developers

Did a traditional research read out of top insights, followed by experiential activity


Method #4: Making Research Experiential

CUSTOMER JOURNEY LINE


CUSTOMERS WALKING THROUGH JOURNEY LINE


EMPATHY MAP: SAY / DO / THINK / FEEL


MAKING RESEARCH EXPERIENTIAL : PROS/CONSPROS

Brings research to life in a way that a traditional report cannotSolidifies your research findings and makes them more memorable Rallies the team around a customer and their problems – they feel deep ownership

CONS

Requires a lot of preparationRequires skilled facilitationCustomers may be intimidated by a large audience (select participants carefully and prep them)



HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

STAGE 1: UNDERSTAND & EMBRACE


Methods

1. Customer Panel2. Customer Video3. Emotional Analogies4. Experiential Research

_ Journey Lines_ Empathy Map

_Pilot and experiment_Leverage what already exists_Content trumps production value_Mix and match methods to make it more meaningful_Make it required, not opt-in

Tips & Tricks

STAGE 2: PRACTICE AND BUILD MUSCLE


METHODS

METHOD #5: HAVE LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW CUSTOMERS


LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWING CUSTOMERS: PROS/CONSPROS

Hands on experience and customer learningReinforces how good of an investment customer learning isLeading by example/role modeling

CONS

Requires directive coaching up front because leaders have a strong tendency to advocate or teachRequires a time commitment from leadership teamPotential for misinterpretation of customer views or problems



HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

METHOD #6: SKILLS WORKSHOPS


SKILLS WORKSHOPS: PROS/CONSPROS

Scalable way to teach foundational research skills Practice in a safe environment and get in the moment feedback and coachingCan empower teams, especially when research resources are scarce

CONS

Difficult to create relevant and realistic situations to fit everyoneHarder to replicate pitfalls in safe environment



HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

METHOD #7: CUSTOMER OFFICE HOURS

My team learned a lot today. Thanks for the opportunity to connect with other developers.


“ ”

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Thanks for setting it up. We move at a million miles an hour over there so it's rare we get an opportunity to stop and get an objective viewpoint on anything.

CUSTOMER OFFICE HOURS: PROS/CONSPROS

Low barrier to engagementGets teams or individuals to engage with customers who might not make time otherwiseEncourages more frequent feedback throughout a project

CONS

May not be the ideal customer for each person participatingCustomers could go un-usedLack of a defined research plan can lead to less interesting outcomes (poor interviewing?)



HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

METHOD #8: CUSTOMER IMMERSION DAYS


CUSTOMER EMPATHY FIELD GUIDE


CUSTOMER IMMERSION DAYS: PROS/CONSPROS

Gets an entire team aligned on the customer in a short amount of timeEnergizing and impactfulGets people more comfortable with being uncomfortable – you’re all in the same boatYou’re meeting customers where they are – it’s real life

CONS

Very costly from a time and resource perspectiveLogistics need to be orchestrated really well to keep a large number of people safe and on taskHard to sustain the momentum beyond the event itself



HHH

ImpactExpenseTime

STAGE 2: PRACTICE & BUILD MUSCLE


Methods

5. Leadership Interview

_ Interview Guides_ Research Guides

6. Skills Workshops7. Customer Office Hours8. Customer Immersion

_Broadly & clearly communicate_Savor the surprises_Set your teams up for success

Tips & Tricks


FINAL THOUGHTS

WHAT TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR EMPATHY PROGRAM

Expect a wide range of reactions, including skepticism and apathy

Identify your champions & leverage them

Managing the logistics_Tap into existing channels and operating mechanisms whenever possible_Introduce rigor around the program

Get executive sponsorship

Be patient & flexible


how to create a customer-driven culture

Design