Attractive design makes you buy things…faster!

I suppose anyone with a good taste would agree with me if I say a good design can influence people’s first impression of a product.  To illustrate my point, let’s take Sony VAIO as an example.  I don’t know about you, but to me Sony VAIO laptops are superior in their design to other laptops.  The only laptops that would come close to it is those MacBooks.  But let’s face it, MacBooks are in a different class on its own, which I intent to leave out for another discussion in my future posts.

Let’s forget the fact that Sony’s brand is known for their quality.  Let’s forget that I was a proud owner of one, and that it never failed me from time to time (I speak for my self).  I was so happy with VAIO that after all these years, I still would like to get me another one.  VAIO simply had me at “Hello” (referring to Tom Cruise’s famous line in Jerry McGuire).
Back then, I didn’t even know much about battery power or “blue screen of death” that was all too popular among Windows users.  I just loved VAIO’s curvy look and how it felt less bulky in my hand.  Though sold at a premium price, the protruding metallic “VAIO” logo on the casing immediately placed me one class above the rest (again, I speak for my self, but please keep up as I’m trying to prove a point).  Sony VAIO design was so revolutionary to me that no other laptops could come close (Apple was not yet mainstream back then).

10 years have passed, and here I am thinking that I have gained more insights in the world of tech-gadgetry, and that I would value a gadget based on its capability more than its look so I know a product inside and out before I buy it.  Boy  I was wrong!

A few months ago, I contemplated whether I should get my self an iPhone or Google Nexus One (Android-based smart phone made by Google).  I really did do some research on the two products, one reason because there’s just a geek in me that tells me to do it for fun, two because Nexus One just had more to offer in terms of flexibility (Android is an open source platform, as iPhone is proprietary), and three because they both ain’t cheap!  A power user that I am, that would’ve come naturally as I interact with Google applications on Internet for most of my Internet life time.  I even did some research on blackberry, just to be sure that I wouldn’t miss anything (and I didn’t) as my wife happens to have one (and an avid fan of “BB Messenger” as well).

But in all fairness, I wasn’t thinking about that when I looked down at an actual iPhone in my hand!  This device had my name written all over it! It looked way more “cool” than Nexus One (though I only saw a picture of Nexus One on the Internet).  I know about all the benefits of both phones, and that they are not priced too far apart either.  But I just couldn’t picture my self having another brand but iPhone…period! (really, this was my attitude).

After about 10 minutes getting a feel of it, observing it like it was mine already, I was eventually sold…I finally got my self an iPhone!

Employee Satisfaction = Customer Satisfaction

A few days ago I had a good discussion with one senior banker on strategy and people. It’s bothering me that, according to him, in his experience many seniors spend more time talking about strategy than they do about employees.  Many articles out there talk about this topic from various angles, but rarely from a standpoint of an employee – which is crucial, because employees are the ones who get to have frequent interactions with clients, not management. I do believe that when employees are happy, their state of well being can be very infectious…in a positive way.  In fact, it will radiate and affect everyone around them,…in a positive way! If you look at it this way, I believe attention to people management is a strategy on its own, one that influence an overall business strategy – in a positive way!

In many cases, failures of strategy execution lie not in the “how” or “why”, but more in the “Who”. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins points out that a leader with humility will most likely influence business sustainability. This really makes sense, since a person who has empathy for others tend to put employee well being as a priority, among other things. Although it is easier said than done, ensuring employees feel content in doing their job can benefit a company for the following reasons:

1. It is more costly for companies to recruit than to retain people.
2. Product brand depends heavily on good service, which depends heavily on good people.
3. Bad word of mouth (rumor) spreads quickly than a good one, especially if they originate from well known companies.
4. Content employees are superior advertising agents.

Product Experience as a Brand Promoter

As a customer, I’d like to think a product is as good as the overall experience which may come before or after sales.

Let’s be honest, what is really the difference between iPod and another Mp3 player? They both serve the purpose quite well – to play music, they both “might” look similar (in the case of Chinese cheap imitation of iPod), and they both are relatively affordable.  I’m not a big car fanatic, but many people still would argue with me if I say any car is the same as long as it can run and not too small for a family of three.  Some are even so attached to their tooth paste that they would not use another brand even if it means not brushing their teeth for a whole day for the lack of their favorite one.

My professional career started when I first joined Citibank – funny that I never did like finance in college or anything to do with it and yet ended up earning money selling financial products.  But the whole thing started when I realized that one of the reasons customers would be “loyal” to their bank was not because of the actual product itself, but mostly because of the overall customer experience – this is quite evident especially with banking products which are mostly intangible.  Moreover in a hyper-competitive environment where I was in, a bank would easily change their interest rate in a matter of weeks in response to competition.  When it comes to pricing, the lowest interest rate of 3.0% would be a difference of .05% from the second lowest. I certainly wouldn’t consider switching my credit card for a tiny difference.

So, what is a customer experience? It is pretty much a sum of all experiences customer has with a product.  I personally prefer to call it a “Product” Experience, product as the operative word, as it is the object which shapes the experience for the customer.  Experts use these terms interchangeably.

I’ve listed several key factors which I believe help define a product experience in view of a customer (like me).  These factors do not in anyway represent a single body of theories out there, although they may have a few similarities in some form of fashion.

1. Functional (i.e. credit card can be used to make a purchase)
2. Considerable life cycle (i.e. credit card can be used without hassle for a few months)
3. Value for money (i.e. credit card is priced accordingly to its actual value)
4. Acceptable by current and future public standards (i.e. credit card is still a relevant payment tool in today’s standard, and will be for at least another decade)
5. After-sales service (i.e. if there’s a problem with the card, customer service is available to help)
6. Easy to use (i.e. credit card can be used by just about anyone)
7. Overall design (tangibles or intangible) serves the intended customer segment (i.e. credit card for frequent travelers)

Letter to Steve…

It’s been a while since I last updated my blog. But today, I’m so compelled to write a short letter to Steve, something I always wanted to do but never had the chance when he was alive…

…For the last one week I’ve spent every morning to work listening to my audio book entitled “iLeadership of Steve Jobs” by Jay Elliot with awe. As I walked in to my office yesterday Jay’s last few words still echoing in my mind personalizing what has made Steve Jobs a great man of his era. The charismatic characters of Steve have made me change the way I look at life as a whole. I’ve carried this thought of him almost everyday in my daily routine, asking repetitive questions to my self: what would Steve do in this or that situation. Last conversation I had before I went home yesterday was all about Steve and his products – his legacy. He was far from perfect – but he has examplified a person who’s highly committed to what he’s always believed in, so passionate that the focus and determination are unwavered, even when he was at the bottom low. I’m so proud and feel privileged to be able to witness his triumph when he was still alive, though only from a distance.

I woke up very sad today – I wonder what the world would be like without Steve. Then I realized,…his legacy will live on, not through text books or through media where you can merely read up on, but through what I’ve been carrying and using everyday in my life for the last two years and continue to use for a very long time, one of the products of his ingenuity: the iPhone!

I will miss you, Steve! May God bless and rest your soul in peace!

A true fan