What happens when we really understand our customers’ desired outcomes or the jobs they are trying to do? Something pretty incredible.

This month Quality Digest Daily welcomes Michael Webb, a noted author and consultant who writes about how the quality and productivity sciences improve sales and marketing departments.

Having recently bought some furniture at a big box store, I couldn’t help seeing these three dreaded words were boldly printed on the outside of the carton: “Some Assembly Required.”

There’s a well-known quote by Henry Ford that goes like this, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” It’s fair to note that some don’t believe he actually said that, but let’s go with it.

You’re ready to send your team to customer service training. The big question is whether your team is ready. Chances are, they’re not.

Are you listening to your customers? Do you understand what they’re trying to achieve? Are you using what you learn to actually design a better experience for them?

Think about the things that you’re doing to transform your organization and your customer experience. Are you doing busywork, or are you doing real work?