As consumers and end users we have the right to choose, even for those services which used to be the domain of one provider – education, healthcare, travel etc. But along with that choice comes an expectation that we know what we’re doing and can make an informed choice, and we don’t always know what is appropriate for our needs.
One option is to spend time and effort in researching (which job used to be done by the specialists in the providers and suppliers) but this carries a hidden cost and may not reach the best conclusion.
Another option is to just pick one of the choices and either adapt ourselves to fit in with that or to pay the cost of modification or replacement.
A third option is to find someone who can bridge that gap. But even that option comes with the caveat that it is still the user who has to make the choice; it seems no-one is allowed to decide what is best for us (other than Mums and Government).
So whereas 50/60 years ago, we would accept the limited options available and they would be best for us (because there wasn’t any alternative – see earlier reference to Mums and Governments), now having the choice means that no-one will take responsibility for it not making us money, for it not making us better, for it not being on time or lasting the expected lifetime – that’s now our personal problem!
Unfortunately, this level of choice and the resultant relocation of who has responsibility has meant that we all now need to be experts in everyone else’s processes and systems. Don’t get me started on the paperwork required by us to allow a business to correct their own mistake, or the expectation that we have to take part in their technology (each one follows a different pattern that we need to understand) to be able to receive the service we’ve paid for.
That’s a blog in itself!
If you have your own stories of how supplier responsibility has migrated to customer (in)experience than please come along on Thursday to share.
Or if you just want the opportunity to reorganise the world or solve a problem, you’re very welcome too.