I’ve been meaning to blog about this for about a month but this posting has repeatedly been overtaken by other events. Finally, I have found time to sit down and think.
A few months ago, I concluded an agreement with Pelco, a leading maker of security systems, to conduct a series of trainings with their Solutions and Technology Office (STO). STO is embarking on a program of customer visits aimed at better understanding customer needs and developing products that distinguish Pelco from competitors. Director of User Experience/Design, Arjen de Klerk, and his colleague, Kirsten Medhurst, contacted me to see how I could contribute. I’d met de Klerk, Medhurst and some of their user experience co-workers at the monthly Software Partnership meetings held at the Central Valley Business Incubator and we saw that we shared the same user-centered philosophy to product design. When they contacted me this past spring, on the verge of a new customer visit program, the time was ripe for launching a collaboration. As a result, in May and June, I gave a series of four sessions at Pelco, emphasizing both the principles behind user-centered design and some how-to instruction on using an ethnographic approach to customer visits. Senior VP and CTO, Greg Millar, committed about 25 of his people and some from other departments to a total of 15 hours in my sessions – a fact that reflects just how serious Millar is about launching a high-quality, systematic program of customer visits.
On the level of principles, I emphasized the exploratory nature of the customer visit process and argued for an inductive approach, heavy on observation and open-ended questions and light on the kind of feature-listing that has marked previous efforts to collect product design insights from customers. Pelco people have a good deal of knowledge about their customers, but they know that there are things they have missed – a good opportunity to conduct some in situ observations of users at work with Pelco products.
For practice, I worked with Kirsten Medhurst to develop a mock research project for the session participants. Everyone went to area sandwich shops to observe the ordering process with an eye for improving the customer experience. This gave participants a chance to practice naturalistic observations, record-keeping and some preliminary analysis.
Customer visit training session at Pelco, June 10, 2010. (Photo by Arjen de Klerk)
The engineers, marketers and programmers in the sessions took quickly to the idea that open-ended, exploratory research can turn up some unexpected insights into improving the user experience. The most telling interaction came as we discussed some findings one of the teams made at a local Panera. One team observed a woman who came in holding a bag, phone and keys. To this, Panera added a receipt with order number, cup and straw. The woman clearly needed a third, if not fourth and fifth arm to handle it all. One of the engineers suggested that this was a “customer side problem,” not Panera’s. Others in the room responded by pointing out that customers with full hands are a reality Panera needs to confront. “Panera puts a lot of things in your hands,” someone pointed out. The exchange revealed quite a bit about the way the participants have taken user-centered design to heart. For this, I can clearly take only partial credit. I believe the observation exercise was eye-opening, but I was clearly building on a the existing experience, expertise and brainpower of those in the room.
But Pelco faces some serious challenges in making user-centered design a reality. Pelco products make it to users via a web of customers that include equipment dealers, installers and integrators. Hence, Pelco’s customers are not its users, and customers do not always sell Pelco products based on their excellent design and usability. Some dealers are stuck on a path of products with which they are comfortable, and may not perceive Pelco innovations as making their lives better or easier. That said, Pelco is definitely on the right track long-term. Over the next few months, Pelco researchers will be out in airports and casinos, observing end users at work, and the results will be better design and a unified user experience across product categories. As word gets out, we hope, users will demand the best products Pelco has to offer, and dealers, installers and integrators will have to follow suit.
Thanks to Greg Millar, Arjen de Klerk, Kirsten Medhurst and their STO colleagues for a great series of sessions.
anthroguy
Felicia Salcido
TheAnthroGeek
42 comments
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July 1, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Jack Plaxe
Hi Hank –
Your work with Pelco interests me as an end user of electronic security systems.
Please keep me in the loop as this project progresses.
Jack
July 1, 2010 at 2:47 pm
anthroguy
You bet, Jack.
July 20, 2010 at 10:48 am
Liviu Amariei
What about educating end users of their needs? People tend to get comfortable with a system that works and may not see the need for improvement. Is Pelco working to making their customers aware of the benefits of upgrading? Or maybe they need to work first on the dealer side as they are the link between them and the customer. Some people may take a while to integrate innovations that are made available at Pelco.
July 22, 2010 at 11:11 am
Whitney P
Regarding the User-Centered Design at Pelco (June 30, 2010), I agree with the engineer who said it was a “customer side problem” from the Panera observation. Seeing how consumers of a business enter into the whole Pelco products usage is not important to actual equipment sales. I think new/returning Pelco product users/buyers would benefit from visits to businesses using the Pelco equipment. Thus they would see first hand how the pieces have been incorporated and how successful they are. The whole point of any product line is to increase customer satisfaction and lay the groundwork for a future purchase. Consumers want the best product at the best price. Pelco could benefit from a design department (they may have one, I don’t know) who would take the buyer (even if it is just one item) from choosing the right equipment to location (extremely important) of the equipment to proper usage and maintenance. This would be one way that if the customer bought from an equipment dealer, not directly from Pelco, that the customer could still contact Pelco for an online consultation. A one time consult would be included with every purchase with additional consults and/or personal consults would be subject to a fee. Pelco may have valuable contacts made through these consultations and gain additional business.
July 25, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Kevin Gutierrez
I found it to be very interesting on how an exercise at panera can influence open minded individuals into improving their own area of work. Something so simple as studying the needs of customers at a local sandwich shop really broadened the horizon for the participants; as quoted perfectly from the author he basically built “building on a the existing experience, expertise and brainpower of those in the room”. There is much to be learned from just simple everyday interaction, and it could be much more rewarding then overanalyzing every aspect of business.
Also, Liviu provided a very good point. Many people are simply uneducated about the products out on the market. It should be taken into consideration that “selling” and “educating” individuals are not the same thing, and should not be used interchangeably. Many marketing and adveristments attempt to try to educate the individual only on their selling product, instead of letting the consumer make their choice. If the quality of the product is their, then the choice after the education should be rather simple, no?
July 25, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Jared Maddox
I work in the mall and recently we got new registers. What a nightmare, the old system had very few buttons on the main screen and was easy to navigate and easy on the eyes, the new one, not so much. The new systems main screen is overloaded with unnecessary data and options, plus the clock is now in military time. FRUSTERATING!! To me it seems like some nerd in a dark room made the program to his liking, not the end user, ME! I like the way that Pelco is interested in making the product most useable to user rather than that guy in the dark room.
It is interesting to me that Applied Anthropologists can be used to solve these types of problems. Who better to hire than someone whose profession is to watch and observe people?
I can also see one of Pelcos dilemmas, how to show the user that their product is better and easier to use than either an old product or a competitors. Old dogs don’t easily learn new tricks. To me the new registers are an unnecessary change. Therein lays their biggest challenge, getting the users to believe that the systems will make life easier, not harder.
December 12, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Sean Bennett
Pelco is simply using cultural anthropology to make their products better. They are observing how people are using their products. If the product is being used incorrectly by a mass majority of its users there is a good chance that the software could be made more user friendly. This seems to be why Apple is doing so well. They have fixed the problems that people don’t like with Microsoft. Know everyone thinks their product is great just because it is a little bit easier to use.
July 25, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Tigon A.
I am suprised that Pelco hasn’t tried this approach earlier. Innovation is the key in staying ahead of the competition in the technology sector. As such, taking a non-traditional approach to customer research can only serve to enhance their already broad knowledge base and hopefully bring to fruition products that their end-users can more effectively utilize.
Engineers can often be so insulated in their research tendencies that they often do not or cannot see the use in a more asymmetric and holistic approach. Apple is one company that I can think of that has used out-of-the box thinking to buck the trend and has seen huge success and a rabid following. I’m sure that an applied anthropological approach to their field research has helped garner some of these insights to improving their technology.
As the local Fresno technology company, I root for Pelco against the other “big dogs” in its technology sector. It’s great to see such an innovative and forward thinking company such as Pelco in Fresno and to see them prosper.
April 18, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Morgan Jacobsen
I absolutely agree with you. It is great that they are using such cutting edge thinking in order to make life just a little bit easier.
July 26, 2010 at 12:26 am
JessicaG
The goals of the store is to provide the customer with outstanding service which would promote their return, good customer service with a smile and taking time to help them find or answer question which shows the customer that they are value. Overall goal is to help making an easy positive experience. By learning more about our people and by delivering what they have promise. For example, they should take time to help the customer make their decisions which would show that they care. Pelco employees can help customers feel more knowledge about their equipment by walking them through it step by step. Sometimes, people are most likely to do what they are most comfortable with, without taking the time to learning something new because it might be difficult. If they have someone walk them through it will greatly help.
July 26, 2010 at 6:38 pm
jessicagallegos925
The goals of the store is to provide the customer with outstanding service which would promote their return, good customer service with a smile and taking time to help them find what they are looking for or answer question which shows the customer that they are value. Overall goal is to help making an easy positive experience. By learning more about our people and by delivering what they have promise. For example, they should take time to help the customer make their decisions which would show that they care. Pelco employees can help customers feel more knowledge about their equipment by walking them through it step by step. Sometimes, people are most likely to do what they are most comfortable with, without taking the time to learning something new because it might be difficult. If they have someone walk them through it will greatly help.
July 27, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Carly R.
Once again the use of anthropological skills comes in handy when trying to deal with a company trying to improve their customers’ experience. The particular exercise at Panera bread showed the two possible approaches to these studies. One saw the woman with too much in her hands as a problem of her own, and another saw it as the establishments problem. When looking at productivity and customer satisfaction it is always in the best interest of the company to do what they can to make the experience better for the customer. When they have seen how much the company cares about them, they are much more likely to interact and return. When I worked at Jamba Juice that was a major focus of the company. For customers who had hands full I would deliver their smoothies to where they were sitting or offer a cup holder, even if only for two smoothies to enable them to have the best and most flawless experience possible. It is interesting because it really was not my problem if the individual was carrying too much, they really should have put something away but instead I pampered to them, since they were the ones paying. Using this method of customer relations Pelco can easily open the customers up to better understand which of the things need to be improved. A customer is much more likely to explore a program when they are not afraid of being embarrassed or when they know they will have help if they become too confused. This would maximize the experience for both parties involved.
April 18, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Morgan Jacobsen
Absolutely! I have been on both sides of this issue. I am in the customer service field and I always try my best to help and guide my customers to the best of my ability. My worst experiences are always at FedEx Kinkos. As an Interior Design student I get the joy of printing out many large floor plans. I always am so embarrassed when I go there because I do not understand their self service printing, and they always seem so perturbed that I have to ask them for help. If their system was a little easier to navigate I would have had no issue going there. Now I, as many other of my fellow students, go to a much simpler print shop, though it takes a little longer for me to drive there it is worth the wait!
July 28, 2010 at 2:15 am
Steven Lo
It was interesting that an exercise trip to panera gave one of the workers an idea in improving in his own area of work. By simply observing customers purchasing sandwiches, it opened up is perspective and gave him the idea that Pelco should make their products more satisfying to their customers. I think that it would be a good idea for pelco workers to visit sites that use their products to see how their product is being used, and where they are being used, so that Pelco can improve their products making it more effective for their customers. Maybe they could design certain products for different types of environments. One problem though with coming up with a new product is that they might have to show their consumers how to use the new product and if the new product is more complicated than the old, customers might not like it. I feel that the hardest part would be convincing consumers that the new product is more efficient.
It is interesting that a big company like Pelco has not looked into this before. Being up to date and keeping products up to the newest technology is a big key in staying ahead of the competition. I feel that an applied anthropological approach would help pelco tremendously. By broadening their horizons they can improve their current products and maybe even come up with newer better products.
July 28, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Ashley H
I think it was an excellent idea observing customers at Panera because it gave the observers a better understanding of a customers needs in a situation like that. This allowed the observers to see whether or not a local sandwich shop was user friendly for it’s customers, and with the example provided in this blog, it showed to only be semi-user friendly. A person who is given additional items to carry in addition to their own personal items with no offered help may leave an impact on that customer whether or not they want to return to that specific sandwich shop (or any given place). I think a lot was learned by this observation project in how to make things user friendly and easier for customers to continue wanting to purchase products from various places based on how easy it is for them to do so.
November 21, 2010 at 11:08 am
Misael Aponte Jr.
There are some products that just have to work. Because they work behind the scenes not in front. Security equipment is one of those products. People buy a security camera maybe play with it for a while but in all it just stays there idle until something happens. For big business it is the same thing the systems are bought by a bean counter. Installed by trained staff. Then used by low wage security. So the customer “CEO” is oblivious to the fact that maybe pelco has the latest resolution camera. Or that the system uses so much less energy.
November 21, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Jack
Misael –
I have to take issue with your comments.
As a security professional, I can assure you that we don’t “play with” our security equipment. Each camera has a certain function, field of view and fits into a larger electronic security system that typically includes electronic access control, alarm monitoring, closed circuit television (CCTV) and other types of associated security hardware. That system was designed taking into consideration threats, vulnerabilities and overall risk.
CCTV systems don’t typically sit idle until something happens. We not only record our cameras but also have our Security Officers monitor the cameras to determine who is in an area, if doors or gates are secured, and if equipment if functioning properly. We do use the recordings after the fact for investigative purposes but I can tell you that my cameras are viewed 24/7/365 by trained Security Officers.
Security systems are not usually purchased by “bean counters” but by security professionals, who contract with systems integrators to design, integrate, install and test systems before they are commissioned for use. In my case, my proprietary security force uses and monitors the equipment but in many cases the end user is a contract security officer. Our pay scale is higher than average: we start our Security Officers at close to $20 per hour.
I’m not a “CEO” but as the Director of Security I’m aware of the specifications of the security systems that I buy and I suspect other security professionals are as well. We’re interested in features and functionality, which may include the latest CCTV technologies like IP cameras, HD or megapixel resolution and the like. Some of us are even interested in low energy features and in fact take pains to measure what our security departments do down to the micro level through a metrics program.
Of course, some security systems may sit idle, may be purchased as a low bid by those lacking knowledge of security and may be monitored by low wage employees (or not at all) but what you’re describing is not a modern, professional security organization.
Jack
November 23, 2010 at 4:25 pm
BrendaL
Fresno’s downtown has a lot of potential. It already has the old buildings that most people like to gawk over. The first objective is to view plans from other cities that have had similar failing downtowns and have turned them into success stories. For example, if a high dollar restaurant wants to succeed, it will send it’s chef to various locations, in and out of state, to find what makes a $50.00 plate restaurant different from a $100.00 plate restaurant. This, of course, takes money but if the downtown project wants to succeed, this is a must. There should be two select groups developing ideas for Fresno. The first is a select group that should be sent to numerous locations in and out of the state to view other cities success stories. The second group should be gathering ideas from local research and development groups.
There are numerous cities such as San Jose (Ca), Ann Arbor (Mi), Orlando (Fl), San Luis Obispo (Ca) and even Visalia (Ca), just to name a few, that has done a great job creating attractive and lively downtowns. Once the select group gathers data from these various locations, this information should be compared with the ideas of the local group. What are the small details of these other cities that make people want to visit and then also return? Most of these examples have maintained/renovated their old structures to add to that nostalgic warm feeling. The mixture of businesses is what seems important; an even distribution of restaurants, clothing stores, pubs, and specialty shops.
Parking and safety are other concerns of most visitors to the area. Parking structures or parking on the streets near the shops is a must and can make a great combination. If the current parking conditions in the downtown area are not desirable, then who’s is complaining and what are their remedies. As for safety, these statistics are available through local law enforcement and can be evaluated for improvements.
The project should be considered a large investment and should be weighed against what is expected to be gained. The benefits would most likely include increased revenue as well as a better reputation as a city/community, which of course results in future revenues. Fresno’s downtown has some very unique features and architecture that has great potential.
November 24, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Suzanne Ronshausen
Understanding your customer base and how to relate to them is very important. I have had 6 years experience in customer service environments both in food service and in retail. I notice that as an employee I learn that there are certain ways for customers to ask questions and get results easily. However, many customers do not know that there is a specific way to easily get the desired results. For example, I worked at McDonald’s for well over a year and I know the order in which food orders are put into the computer. It goes the size of the meal (medium or large), then the specific meal (like a Quarter Pounder Meal or number 2) then the drink type. However, most often people order the meal size last or at the very end of their order, which means the original meal has to be taken off then inputted back in. It is a process that takes time which customers may not want to spend. Many times it looks like employee error instead of customer, which would lead into a whole new discussion of whether the customer really is “always right.” By looking at what Pelco’s end user’s wants, needs and how they use the products will help in knowing what products to give them or how to educate their consumers. Visiting and observing other customer service companies is an excellent way to understand interactions between the seller and customer. As a seller, it is your job to help the customer get exactly what they need even if they don’t realize they needed it. Like the lady in the Panera example, what she came is for was lunch but what she also needed what a hand with all of her items. Going the extra step ensures that customer will come back and keep buying, thus keeping the company in business. People may come in for security systems but not know what they need and it is important that the sellers are able to pinpoint those needs and not just try to make a sale. There is a difference and the sessions that the Pelco employees went through is an excellent way to figure that out.
November 30, 2010 at 1:17 pm
hope
It’s a great idea that Pelco is using the user-centered design approach. This could improve the needs of customers and Pelco. Providing a positive experience will bring much success to this company and boost their sales and reputation. In any business, customer satisfaction is very important thus bringing more revenues. I believe this new method benefits both the seller and consumer. The example illustrated in the Panera’s situation is a wonderful tool to learn and use in achieving customer care service.
December 3, 2010 at 8:40 am
network camera
Hi, can I quote some of the content found in this entry if I provide a link back to your site?
December 5, 2010 at 7:52 pm
David Hoff
The activity with the Pelco engineers sounds like an excellent application of applied anthropology, but it sounds like the problems that Pelco faces require more than training in user-design. Many companies today are eliminating the “middle-men” in the sales process, such as distributors and wholesalers. Although I have little knowledge about how the security industry functions, I wonder if Pelco wouldn’t benefit from adjusting its business model to sell directly to customers. That way, the user-centered design process will be more effective. Customers will be able to buy products from salespeople employed by Pelco, and the company can make sure that its sales force is properly trained on the features of all the latest, user-centric product designs. The salespeople could even participate in the user-centric design process.
If that idea is not feasible, then maybe Pelco can get share the data from the user-centric design sessions with the salespeople of the companies who deal directly with the end-users. I understand that some salespeople stick only with selling what is comfortable for them, but I would hope that a majority would be interested in reviewing the data and adjusting their sales tactics if Pelco could show them that, by doing so, they stood a greater chance of meeting customers’ expectations and making more sales.
December 6, 2010 at 7:03 am
Jack Plaxe
David –
While some direct sales might be feasible, the majority of sales will be made by a company that specializes in selling and installing electronic security equipment, often referred to as a security systems integrator. Sharing the data from the user-centric design sessions would be a real benefit to the integrator, who may sell multiple product lines and may be more inlcined to recommend a system based on level of familiarity.
Jack
December 7, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Samantha S
The evolutionary nature of technology is constantly creating new concepts to be understood. This educational session at Pelco was a great reminder that it takes an active approach to keep up with the world around us. The desire of the company to keep up with these changes exemplifies their dedication to their industry.
Businesses such as Pelco that allow for development of user interface are the ones who will succeed. This thought is generated from negative experiences with companies who do not care enough about their customers. The effort Pelco is putting in to understand the needs of their customer base is a key component to their success. The educational events such as this one prove their determination. They will continue to gain business because of their dedication to developing quality products and customer service. The anthropological approach that is mentioned in this article of open-ended questions and user observations are ideal in the technology industry. These methods are ideal because in order to understand the demographic of users they need multiple angles of interaction. Observing customers in a similar fashion that was utilized at the local Panera was a great practice for employees to gain understanding and make informed choices about customer service.
In June 2010 while in Vancouver, BC, I noticed a Pelco security camera mounted in a metro station. As soon as I recognized the logo there was a sense of pride that took over because that camera was from my hometown. I began to think about all of the people and logistics that were involved in getting that camera from Clovis, CA to this Canadian city. I am very curious if a representative from Pelco accompanied the equipment to its destination and oversaw instillation and initial operation. Were there training sessions with the clients who own the security devices? From this blog post’s look at Pelco’s dedication to customers I am sure that the city of Vancouver was treated very well by this U.S. Company. Not only is this good for sales and security, it is good for international business relations with other countries. Training companies to understand consumers and treat them right has more benefits that like technology are constantly developing.
~Samantha
December 8, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Amanpreet R
I like the idea that palco has come up with, because it easier to sell the product if it is something that costumer has demanded. I like the plan that palco has and I think that would make them very successful in the bussines world. Sometime people don’t like to try new things, buecause new things would very hard use at first. I think if you have traning then it would not be a problem to use something new and more convient. I think example of Panara would be profect to to satsafied your costumes. If your costumers are happy with you than your company is going to stay in bussiness for long time.
December 9, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Cristal Ramire
User-Centered Design at Pelco
The idea to improve products and customer services at Pelco is a good idea. I have work for a retail store for almost five years now. I sincerely believe that an excellent customer service and innovated products is what keeps businesses alive today. There is a lot of competition in the business market. Therefore, businesses have to develop a strategy that distinguishes them from all other businesses. An excellent customer service is what brings customers back. Customers are always looking for great products; great service and most importantly super great deals. All of these three comments are extremely important for business success. Without these components businesses are at no competition with other business.
While working in retail, I have learned that customers always come first regardless of any other duties. Pelco is a world recognized market that must continue providing great products and great customer service. As a customer, I am always going to look for a business that gives great customer service and that I know has a great reputation as well. I say this because wouldn’t like to buy things from a business that has a bad reputation for selling bad products or not giving proper customer care.
Competition is hard for businesses. Therefore, it is important for all businesses to find new ways of attracting customer; innovated products, proper customer care, great deals, more convenient business hours and more. In the retail store that I work at, I learn that 78% of customers won’t come back to store if they are not satisfied with the service. Another, 14% of unsatisfied customers will share their bad shopping experience with others. This can mean a lot to any business. Businesses like this can lose money, customers and much more. Therefore, customer services and innovated products should always be the main priority for any business.
December 12, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Samantha H.
It is very difficult for some people to adapt to change. I know from experience. Every time a website has a new look or new features I notice myself become frustrated trying to figure out how it works. However once I do figure it out I notice how much better the website works. Observing the customers before a new program comes out is a brilliant idea. I am surprise people don’t use it more often. The observers can identify the pros and cons of an existing program/service and perfect its flaws and also add necessary updates. Once the consumer sees the effort put into the new programs they will appreciate the company even more. When customers appreciate the company they buy from they will continue doing business until they are dissatisfied. The observing method ties right into applied anthropology because most anthropologist observe the topics they are researching to discover new data and other important findings.
December 13, 2010 at 11:56 am
Pahoua Xiong
I think it is a good idea to use applied anthropology to find out what customers want and need that will contribute into making new products. In addition, applied anthropology has also relied on observation. If Pelco wants to build a new product that will have every customer rushing in, they will have to do more research of what the majority of the people need during this time of the century. It has to be something that is new or upgraded; something a person will use at least five times a day (like a cell phone, car, ipod, etc) and something that majority people can afford. It is hard to come up with new ideas to create something that people are rushing into buying it like an Ipod when it first came out. I think one of the best products that will have everyone purchase is the cell phone with camera (the other caller is able to view another caller) and water resistant and the price is not above $300. There are cell phones now that have camera that is able to view who is the caller with internet, but they are too expensive. For example, I cannot afford an IPhone because it is too expensive, only a small percentage can afford IPhone. Now, there is IPad, which has the ability to view the caller and view the receiver. It is pricier than IPhone. Again, only a few people are able to afford it. So if Pelco wants to design something new, it has to be affordable.
December 17, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Andrew Epperson
I believe that the User-Centered design at Pelco is a great idea. If the program is taken as seriously as it sounds then it should be very effective at understanding the customer and developing a product that works better for them. Taking a different approach towards this concept will allow it to stand out from others like it and even get a step ahead of the competition. The example of Panera and the problems that arise on the consumer’s side are a good example of going beyond the competition and helping the customer resolve these problems. If Pelco is looking to stand out in its field then taking problems like this to heart is very important.
December 17, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Sanjiva G
I agree with the author that customer satisfaction should be a top priority for any successful company, even if the company doesn’t have direct interaction with the customer (as in Pelco’s case). Consider, for example, the story of Valve. One of the most successful game developers in the video game industry, Valve Corporation, is well-known for developing high-quality games, and listening to community feedback regarding their games in order to improve them. Unlike most game developers, Valve provides considerable support for their games long after they are released, providing free updates that add new gameplay elements. Valve further interacts with the community by allowing them to design their own gameplay items in some games, and have even paid community contributors for their work. In a way, Valve uses its customers as free “play-testers” to gauge the popularity of certain aspects of their games, and adjusts them accordingly based on either positive or negative feedback. This results in satisfied customers for Valve, many of which become inclined to buy more games from Valve in the future. In addition, the company has managed to create the most successful digital game distribution platform online, called Steam, which facilitates their connection with the community. Steam allows you to chat with and find friends in various games, instantly receive updates for games you own, buy many games for less than the retail price, and provide a convenient alternative to buying physical copies of games from retail stores. By approaching their business as an entertainment company, and by positively interacting with their customers, Valve has provided a new standard for company-consumer relations that game companies, as well as other companies like Pelco, can learn from.
December 18, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Rocio T
It is very important for business to find new ways to enhance their business. This research performed by Pelco has giving me a new perspective on how small research can be a great benefit. It is interesting to see that there are researchers out there who actually make simple observation to help enhance a business. The importance of this type of research is that business can learn to make observation to help their business because this simple observation can be taken to a broader perspective to apply them in big businesses such as Pelco.
December 18, 2010 at 11:33 pm
noureen lakhani
i am bound to start my comment with acknowledgement and comprehension of PELCO
December 18, 2010 at 11:45 pm
noureen lakhani
i am bound to start my comment with acknowledgement and comprehension of PELCO and what it means and possition pelco holds in our community and over all a company based in
fresno. Pelco is one of the most reputable and known as a icon when it comes to security and survelleince. i have learned few things about pelco from my husband as he has done his grad. research and business management thesis reflecting all the business aspects of the company, encampassing business ethics to employee care to market niche and to mention the business ethics as well as corporate culture when it comes to what it takes as we all hear a “employee owned company”.
pelco is rather a speciliazed high end security equipment manufacturer who is considered an elite in its respective industry. therefore, elite has its own standards and level of performance aside of any indivisual or an average person see or protrays.
pelco biggest customer is U.S Govt. they ought to cater and maintain such standards.
weigh that to the topic in discussion which is customer based or user based center.
December 19, 2010 at 12:05 am
noureen lakhani
i am bound to start my comment with acknowledgement and comprehension of PELCO and what it means and possition pelco holds in our community and over all a company based in fresno. Pelco is one of the most reputable and known as a icon when it comes to security and survelleince. i have learned few things about pelco from my husband as he has done his grad. research and business management thesis reflecting all the business aspects of the company, encampassing business ethics to employee care ts its own standards and level of performance aside of any indivisual or an average person see or protrays.
pelco biggest customer is U.S Govt. they ought to cater and maintain such standards. weigh that to the topic in discussion which is customer based or user based center. As we already know pelco customers are not its users, there comes numerous factors as to what customers requires and what’s more monetary beneficial to the customer and not to the user. user only knows what they need, distributor and sales people manuvuer the end user to their own benefit. think of it this way… cadillac offers less incentive to their buyers then kia or hyndai.
As far as user design center? that is a measure for pelco to probe the type of customers or end users of its products. that only entails and works as feedback for pelco executives to have a better grasp and knoweldge of their on coming and new potential users. Their users are the high end organizations which do not even require or have customers as we determined customer as a distributor.
“pentagon uses pelco security cameras”
December 19, 2010 at 12:43 pm
RicardoP
well, i think what pelco is doing is great for there business ive learned that customer interaction is a great way to thrive in the business of retail. where i work we are taught to go above and beyond to serve our customers and to do this we have to know what it is our customer expect. so what we do is go out of our way to make it a very delightful shopping experience. the place i work at is a grocery store so we serve the customers buy bringing out the best products available. customers do pay a bit more than at other stores but what they re paying for is excellent goods as well as excellent service we try to make the shopping experience as pleasant as possible we want to know our customers we want to make relationships with them so that they want to come back they want to buy from us and we want them to go and tell all there friends that we as a company care and think that all that shop with us will have a great experience. we also offer a try it on me program where we as team members can give out free products up to 10 dollars worth in the hopes that they like it and return to buy it. i think that there has been a lot of thought that has gone into the way the store is run. This thought out process has garnered great rewards for us employees and the company as a whole.
May 1, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Brandon May
I believe the Panera project was a great strategy to encourage open minded individuals to use an objective observation to help with the customer experience. An ethnographic approach to customer relations would ensure proper qualification of the customer for the product, meaning the customer would not be over sold or under sold with product they may or may not need. This would lead to a better relationship with the business and customer.
May 1, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Mary V.
I think it was a good approach to observe the customers. Then those in charge can come to an agreement on what is needed and what can be improved. This is an anthropology approach to see to the needs overall, rather then just one or a couple of customers. We use Pelco systems mostly for security, and I think the company can sell their products more with this kind of approach. Rather then leave a comment card, your reactions and communication as a customer can be easier interpreted whether the services were good or not.
May 1, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Lucien Nana
The idea of always wanting to know what their consumers and costumers need is a very excellent idea, and i think Pelco is moving in the right directions for that. However the problem with that is, there is a wide spectrum of consumers, what one person or group of persons like might not be applicable to another group of persons. Sometimes, i do wonder if they take some of the costumers view into consideration, some times costumers are just annoying, and really don’t know what they want, i think its just looking at what products they already have out there, educate consumers and take consumers opinion on how they should improve and so on.. Seriously i think all these companies either way have great marketing skills in order to make people buy their products. trying to make a delightful shopping experience for costumers and a better environment for employees is a great idea.
May 1, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Aurel Lacuesta
This study is very interesting in that a simple observation can provide so much insight. The key to customer satisfaction is to try to eliminate the minor inconveniences by getting into the customers shoes. As a fitness instructor teaching group classes in a gym, I want the best possible experience for my participants. Each time I meet with them, I ask them individually or in a group their opinion of the class either verbally or in a survey I conduct every few months. Getting feedback on the effectiveness of a move and the music selection I play during class keeps them coming back. Having them involved in the program helps my fitness programs up to date. In previous programs I’ve taught, the company would send us CD’s of pre-selected songs and those were the ones I would have to play in class. Not everybody liked all the songs seeing that the music selection was compiled from a company overseas. Now, having developed a new program from ground up, I have the freedom to use my own music. Using local music that was current and popular, my participants were more satisfied. In a business perspective, the customer comes first. Without the customer, there is no business. Pelco’s initiative to cater to the needs of their customer is a positive approach.
May 3, 2011 at 12:45 pm
James Ros
Going out there and seeing how your product is being used and how it can be improved upon is a great idea! That lunch exercise really showed how anthropology can be applied to everyday tasks. Just going out to lunch at Panera, someone observed a lady carrying a lot of stuff and having more stuff handed to her. Perhaps, just having a “carry box” available to customers might make things easier. It’s very cool to know Pelco is using applied anthropology to help its business.
May 12, 2011 at 7:12 am
Marisol Vera
When buying a product buyers expect high quality. The idea of business and customers come together with the same idea of expecting more of what they want and what they are selling I think is great. It shows business wants their customers to be happy with what they are buying. It’s not only the idea of selling, but the idea of knowing what the public needs are. I like the idea of observing the customers, because this is important for business like in this case the Panera Project to know their customers. It can also be view as to know what other improvement business can make or what the expectations that people want from their products. It is important to understand that today people are more exigent that before and they expect high quality in products they buy, so I think the article provided was an excellent finding because it can help other business to do the same and therefore increase sells.
May 16, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Ruth T
I like the fact that some companies like Pelco are trying to improve things for their customers. It is amazing how much you can learn from just observing people. People act differently when they know that they are being observed. If people knew that their behavior was being analyzed, you can be sure that they would not act how they would normally. Companies can benefit by learning from their customers and what their needs are. By watching people at Panera’s, the observers were able to learn that they might benefit from providing something, like a tray, for their customers to help carry their items. Or another solution could be instead of giving the customers the straws at the register, they could place the straws near the fountain drinks. This way when the customers fill up their drinks, they can put the straw into the cup without having to carry it separately. By just observing and figuring out their customers’ needs, businesses will be able to provide better services to their customers and increasing overall satisfaction. I think a lot of companies can learn a lot from Pelco’s example.