Want to really improve service? Be the customer

The late Steve Jobs was notorious for his unwillingness to use market research to find out what customers wanted. His stance was that customers couldn’t really tell you exactly what they wanted—at least without reference to some existing product. Jobs felt intuition as a guiding force was superior to intellect.

It’s hard to argue Jobs’ belief in the face of Apple’s meteoric resurgence. But what do you do when you don’t have that extraordinary gut instinct à la Jobs?

You Gemba—because with Lean, what the customer or employee knows or experiences does matter.

Gemba is a Japanese word meaning “go and see.” A Lean approach means you “go and see” to understand what really happens where the action is, rather than assuming or making guesses.

Click here to learn more about Gemba and how First West uses it.

Plus, learn about the 8 Wastes that hinder your organization’s efficiency.

Browse our entire Lean for Service video series.