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Are we shrinking people down too small?

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Maybe this word isn't what I thought it was

Words shape the way we see the world. And sometimes the words we use every day blind us to what is actually in front of us. “Customer” might be one of those words.

“A customer is literally a wallet with a human attached to it... But why do they become customers in the first place? Well, they're motivated to achieve something... it's the culture, the relationships, the situations they are in, the technologies they use. And it's a beautiful landscape that appears once you break apart that customer box.” - Helge

I have worked in CX long enough that “customer” rolls off my tongue without a second thought. But Helge Tennø challenged me to notice what that word does:

It compresses a full human life into a transaction

That might make measurement easier... but it makes empathy harder.

If I only see a wallet with a human attached, I am going to miss the deeper motivations. Why did they even become a customer in the first place? What relationships, pressures, or dreams brought them here? Once I step back, the landscape gets bigger... and far more interesting.

This is not about tossing out the word “customer.” It is about refusing to let it be the limit of our vision. True CX impact comes when we remember that humans are not engaging with us to be “customers.” They are engaging with us to accomplish something that matters to them.

And when we design from that bigger, human-centered lens, we stop solving for transactions... and start solving for lives.

Your Turn:​
When is the last time you caught yourself saying “customer” but really meant "wallet"... and what would change if you swapped that word for “human”?

Put those tray tables up and buckle those seat belts. Let’s go!

-Rick

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What’s on tap this week?…

Host - Rick Denton

Rick believes the best meals are served outside and require a passport

🎤🎞️“The One Where We Hitch Our Wagon" with Helge Tennø in E232 in CX Passport Episode 232🎧

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