Getting Effective Product Feedback

As a Sales & Marketing Professional in the Earthmoving Equipment Industry since the last 20 years, it is my constant endeavour to take product feedback from the operator during every field visit.

The Operator is the actual consumer of the product. He is the one who spends maximum time with the machine and takes work out of it. And He is the one who can give the best feedback on Product Performance.

Once, sometime in Year 2014, I had visited our Customer of JCB Liftall 1253 Pick & Carry Crane at Sonebhadra (UP). He had some feedback on visibility from Operator's Cabin. Immediately I request to see the Crane and together we went to his work site.

At the site, I requested the Operator to let me drive the Crane for some distance as I wanted to get insight on visibility of work area while driving and turning. The operator agreed and was seated on the left side. While driving the Crane, the operator explained the finer points on how the visibility of work area can be enhanced. Later on, I noted down this feedback on a notebook for later on discussion with product engineering team.

Over the years, I have learnt to operate the complete range of JCB Machines comprising Backhoe Loaders, Mini Excavators, Excavators, Wheeled Loading Shovels, Compactors, Telehandlers and Skid Steer Loaders. I have realised that you are able to perceive and understand the Operator's feedback better when you actually operate the machine. The operator also feels that you respect his profession and ends up giving you valuable feedback.

This feedback is then given to product engineering, who make the requiste upgrade/improvement, if needed and you end up giving a "Valuefactured" Product to the Customer - by incorporating all the Values a Customer desires into the product.