"Study what customers do, not what they say"

Algo que aprendi nos últimos meses e que vem suplantar práticas que tenho seguido ao longo de anos:

"Study what customers do, not what they say.
Just because customers say they’ll buy or use something, doesn’t mean they actually will. Behavioral economists call the former stated preference and the latter revealed preference.
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It’s a mistake to believe that customer satisfaction is the goal of innovation. It’s also a mistake to believe that customers know what they want — or that we should study customer “needs”. In fact, customers don’t know what they want or what they need.
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Innovators study switch’n, not bitch’nThe customers who offer the best data about what changes you should make to your product are those who you never hear about. Why? Because (a) they never became your customer in the first place or (b) they left you long ago.
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Innovation became a lot easier for me when I decided to focus on what customers do, instead of what they think they need or want."

Pensem bem naqueles inquéritos, presenciais ou escritos, que enviamos aos clientes para avaliar a sua satisfação.
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Trechos retirados de "Bitch’n Ain’t Switch’n — Don’t Be Fooled By What Customers Say They Want"