You Learn So Much From Your 'First'..

#customers

Because 'Firsts' are Important

When you launch a business, those first impressions help highlight those positives and negatives - stuff you wouldn't have necessarily considered.

First experiences are always going to provide raw information and we know this works on a personal level too. When insight is required - refer back to that first time..

We did just that recently - we looked back at our first customers to learn about their experiences with their dooups.

For us, a new product that offered a very new concept was always going to bring about some interesting lessons. But like most inventors, we fell in love with our product. 

We knew it inside-out

The process of assembling that first batch in our first and only warehouse back in 2012, meant we understood how each part depended on the other to enable a smooth operation. This also meant we were experts in using it. That's how it should be, right? 

This can cause a serious lack of insight. But that's why the customer is so important. Feedback is crucial to success. You can't be the inventor and the customer - you're too close to see what you need to see.

Like most 'first love' situations, we were blinded by potential faults. We couldn't relate to how it would be perceived by those unfamiliar with the concept. Why would users just know that by pushing the lever down and up in one swift motion, the target could be lifted and flicked into the chamber more easily? Our early user instructions did little to assist customers back then. 

The dooup became a 'marmite product' - some loved it and some hated it. When observing new customers or those using at a show, we noticed that some wouldn't even glance at the instruction leaflet and yet, it was love at first push of the lever! Others would study the diagrams but apply the wrong technique and immediately lose faith when it failed to clear the target.

We hit the breaks

We began observing different customers and revisited our user instructions. We wanted to find out what our customers loved about the product and even watched them using their dooups. Some were applying the wrong techniques but had still mastered the first push, clearance magic!

I decided to put together a brief video of some of our happy customers and their 'take' on why a dooup was important to them. It was interesting to see that none of them used the dooup as per the instructions.

When we look back on these first customers, we know we have a lot to thank them for. We learned so much from them.

Maybe the customer is not always right but their wrongs can be the all important lessons we need to ensure we get it right. 

Thank you 'Firsts'!