Anyone who receives a product from you is a customer or client. The customer needs something from you, and ideally, they receive it.
Unfortunately, the customer’s needs may not align with what they receive from you. That spells “dissatisfied customer” or maybe “lost customer.” Determining whether they are satisfied with what you give them is imperative. That will help your career or your business.
Truth Tables
A “truth table” helps you divide and think about an issue, especially any two items you see as linked. For example, you might say, “Excellent parents have excellent kids.” That is what we would like to believe, but a truth table reveals a better answer.
After reviewing the video and the information below, create a truth table with “Excellent parents” and “Excellent children” as the two elements and analyze the results.
Customer Needs & Gets Truth Table
The truth table in the video thumbnail indicates that customers’ needs are not always met. Of course, that is obvious from experience. However, it needs to be more apparent as we rationalize our products, services, and performance.
Too often, you may believe you provide the customer with something essential and beneficial. But does the customer see it that way? That thinking says, “The customer gets what they need,” but there is no verification of whether that is true.
A truth table helps you see reality. More importantly, it helps you identify the key questions you should ask customers regularly.
Check these out for more information about customer satisfaction: the Kano Model, Levels of Satisfaction, and Strategy and Customer Wants.
Reality or Fantasy
The truth table is straightforward, but it helps to go through it to make sure you understand it. Watching the video is a good idea.
The first four cells on the left in the table above are based on 50% of reality.
The two “+” signs in the first two cells indicate that the customer needs something and gets it. Or, they get what they need. The two cells with two “-” signs show that they don’t need it and don’t get it.
Obvious, right?
From your view, not the customer’s, if they purchase your product or service, they need it, and they get it. Otherwise, they don’t buy it. Additionally, if they have been with you for a while, you may think that the first two boxes represent 100% of reality. In other words, they stay with me because they get what they need.
Or suppose you use the same table for your work. “My boss and co-workers must be getting what they need from me because I am still here!”
On the surface, both of those beliefs may be true. But how about digging deeper? Most likely, you find needs that aren’t met. It may be the difference in rating your product or performance as a six versus an eight on a 1 to 10 scale. Overall, things are on the positive side, but what about improvement?
So, the last four cells on the right present the rest of reality. Sometimes a customer needs “+” something but doesn’t “-” get it. And, sometimes, a customer does not “-” need something, but they get “+” it.
The Two Questions
Those situations create two simple questions to ask clients, co-workers, or bosses.
- What are you getting that you don’t need?
- What do you need that you aren’t getting?
These are straightforward and highly useful questions. If you don’t get much response from those questions, you can use other variations like
- What are some things (actions, attitudes, or behaviors) you would like MORE of from me?
- What are some things (actions, attitudes, or behaviors) you would like LESS of from me?
Think about asking your boss or co-workers who receive your work product either of those questions. Even if they have no feedback, you advertise that you want it.
That is what high performers do - seek feedback to enhance their performance!