“No one has complained about it”

UX Snippet series

It continues to amaze and sadden me when I hear “Well no one has complained about it,” or a similar phrase, during a meeting.

Probably even more saddening, I’ve witnessed this phrase (or something similar) used during meetings as what appeared to be an attempt to smoother endeavors to explore new concepts to potentially further enhance a product or system.

Let’s consider two perspectives:

Phrases such as these seem to carry the same weight as “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This goes against the very philosophy of continuous improvement, especially for organizations striving to be agile and innovative.

Dare I venture to say, you might have not heard feedback or complaints, because you’re listening for feedback in the wrong places, or not actively listening at all. Even more troublesome, are your customers not providing feedback because they are just leaving to go to a competitor?

Just because “No one has complained about it” regarding a product, system, or service, doesn’t mean that everything is warm and fuzzy perfect. Engage with your customers and end-users …they are real people.