{domain:"www.qualitydigest.com",server:"169.47.211.87"} Skip to main content

User account menu
Main navigation
  • Topics
    • Customer Care
    • FDA Compliance
    • Healthcare
    • Innovation
    • Lean
    • Management
    • Metrology
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
    • Six Sigma
    • Standards
    • Statistics
    • Supply Chain
    • Sustainability
    • Training
  • Videos/Webinars
    • All videos
    • Product Demos
    • Webinars
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Submit B2B Press Release
    • Write for us
  • Metrology Hub
  • Training
  • Subscribe
  • Log in
Mobile Menu
  • Home
  • Topics
    • 3D Metrology-CMSC
    • Customer Care
    • FDA Compliance
    • Healthcare
    • Innovation
    • Lean
    • Management
    • Metrology
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
    • Six Sigma
    • Standards
    • Statistics
    • Supply Chain
    • Sustainability
    • Training
  • Login / Subscribe
  • More...
    • All Features
    • All News
    • All Videos
    • Contact
    • Training

Helping Customers Define What They Want

How to translate the vagueness of a wish into a specification

Jeff Dewar
Mon, 01/28/2013 - 09:46
  • Comment
  • RSS

Social Sharing block

  • Print
  • Add new comment
Body

ADVERTISEMENT

“Dad, I'll need a car soon,” came from the lips of my 15-year-old son. A straight-A student, on his way to attaining Eagle Scout rank, and dedicated to the cross-country team, he deserved a hearing. He had been working around the neighborhood doing yard work but had his eyes on the bigger target of a job at the local grocery store fetching shopping carts and cleaning up spills. The pay was better, and it sounded like a fun job.

ADVERTISEMENT

We sat down to talk it over, and I told him, "Actually, son, you want a car."

“Dad, no, I'll need a car to get to work; they'll hire me soon as I’m 16. They told me.”

“Son, let’s use the right words. You want a car. You need transportation. You require a better bicycle.”

And the banter was on.

 …

Want to continue?
Log in or create a FREE account.
Enter your username or email address
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
By logging in you agree to receive communication from Quality Digest. Privacy Policy.
Create a FREE account
Forgot My Password

Comments

Submitted by umberto mario tunesi on Mon, 02/04/2013 - 10:12

"All but Antarctica"

Yes, I know a number of people who would - or should? it depends on their wants, or needs - better live there, so they wouldn't have to help their customers to define what they want. But, Mr. Dewar, are WE aware of what WE want, in the first place? Do we really want to help customers define what THEY want, or do we want to make they want what WE want, instead? Propaganda, whose today's name is Advertising Technique, is not so far away. If customers should look at themeselves in a mirror, we, telling them to do so, should do the same - before: an example is worth a thousand words. Thank you.

 

  • Reply

Add new comment

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
Please login to comment.
      

© 2025 Quality Digest. Copyright on content held by Quality Digest or by individual authors. Contact Quality Digest for reprint information.
“Quality Digest" is a trademark owned by Quality Circle Institute Inc.

footer
  • Home
  • Print QD: 1995-2008
  • Print QD: 2008-2009
  • Videos
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write for us
footer second menu
  • Subscribe to Quality Digest
  • About Us
  • Contact Us