Experience the unfiltered voice of the customer

We all know how important the customer’s opinion is when developing and improving new products. Human nature is such that customer comments are usually based on what they have already experienced. It can be difficult for them to imagine something completely different from what they know.

An effective customer experience shows the customer what the change will look like and allows them to comment anonymously. This allows the customer to see the actual product and also provide honest and complete feedback on it.

And that’s exactly what happened at Eaton’s test site in Marshall, Michigan, in late June, when Eaton and BAE demonstrated their version of an electric truck.

See also: Eaton and BAE collaborate on a battery-electric powertrain for medium and heavy loads with 4-speed transmission

Over three days, Eaton and BAE were able to view the truck for different audiences – fleets, manufacturers and media. Each day consisted of four separate one-hour stops. Each person had the opportunity to drive the electric truck and a diesel truck with similar specifications. There was a trade show-like display where each group saw chargers, Eaton’s 4-speed electric transmission and BAE power electronics components. The third stop was a presentation by Eaton and BAE executives where they shared more details about the truck and talked about their vision and the value they thought the truck would bring to the market.

The fourth area was feedback. Instead of having the various stakeholders speak to company representatives, they spoke to NACFE staff, with their comments guaranteed anonymity. Over the course of the three days, we collected 328 “opinions.” We used this term because it describes what people thought about the truck, the components, electric trucks in general, and how the industry might evaluate the solutions. Fleets were the most vocal in their opinions, and we were able to capture 153 of them. Manufacturer opinions totaled 97, and media opinions totaled 78. At the end of each day, we summarized the opinions and shared them with the entire group. A lot of thoughtful, insightful feedback was provided.

We have since met with Eaton and BAE to obtain more detailed feedback and executives said they would address the concerns raised by some of the views expressed.

I want to share the details of this event because during product development it can be difficult to get good, useful feedback that can help you improve the product. I commend Eaton and BAE for showing their customers “their baby” and welcoming comments and criticism.

For other companies looking to engage with their customers, I would recommend thinking carefully about the process and making sure they are asking the right questions and allowing for genuine feedback.

While Eaton and BAE could have put on a great event without NACFE’s help, I think having a neutral party survey the event attendees resulted in more comprehensive, deeper and helpful feedback. And that will ultimately help Eaton and BAE develop a product that better meets customer needs. This is another one of those moments where the value of collaboration shines through. Collaboration leads to better results and I hope we see more of that as the industry continues to improve its products for fleets.