[Bon Holiday Special 03 | Topic 305] Are you ignoring 'customers who are too afraid of failure to act' behind the scenes of digitalization? —— The business blind spot that executives who don't question common sense fall into
To all small and medium-sized business owners who are chased by daily tasks and feel anxious, thinking, 'My vision isn't reaching my employees' or 'I can't find the time to map out the future.' What is happening right now behind the scenes of a digital society that should have become more convenient at first glance?
When you finish reading this article, the pain of 're-evaluating your company's status quo' should have turned into excitement for new business developments starting tomorrow.
Article Summary
Summary: Beginner-friendly manual videos explaining how to use Nakau, Gong cha, and Doutor, as well as Subway ordering videos, are gaining popularity, especially among Gen Z. The background to this is a strong fear of 'not wanting to fail' in an information-overloaded society, and a 'lack of shared experiences' due to the diversification of media. It emphasizes the importance of facing the reality that what is 'common sense' for a company can be a difficult hurdle for customers, and the importance of questioning consensus.Source: Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (Marketing Edge: Too many choices, restaurants where ordering is confusing?)
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3 Key Points:
Discard the assumption that young people are digital natives who understand everything instantly.
The psychological hurdle of 'not wanting to fail' or 'not wanting to make a mistake' is a major barrier to usage.
The perspective of questioning the processes that the company considers 'common sense' is the seed for new hit products.
The 'Customer Pain' Behind the News
What made me think most deeply about this news is the psychology of Gen Z, who 'are so afraid of failure that they even look up the endings of dramas in advance.' Touch-panel ticket machines and complex customized ordering systems, which were supposed to be introduced for efficiency, ironically create new pressures for customers, such as 'the gaze of the person behind them' and 'the fear of operational errors.'
From my perspective, having worked in customer complaint handling, this is not merely 'the weakness of young people.' It is a manifestation of an extremely modern structural change where 'the more information-heavy the era, the more customers drown in the abundance of choices and stand frozen in anxiety without knowing the correct answer.'
In the past, 'international naming' or 'the latest systems' were weapons for companies in their own right. However, now that everyone has information but shared experiences have been lost, the very act of a company being complacent, thinking 'our system should be easy to understand,' can become the greatest management risk.
Practice: Things you can do on-site starting tomorrow
New systems or huge advertising budgets are completely unnecessary. When you go to the office tomorrow, start by questioning your company's 'common sense.' Use the following framework to inspect your company's services and daily operations from the perspective of the front lines.
[3 Checkpoints to Strip Away Your Company's 'Common Sense']
Stand from the perspective of a 'first-time customer': Are your company's website, application forms, and store flow designed so that a first-time user can proceed smoothly without feeling the 'fear of failure'?
Are 'choices' becoming a burden? Are you causing 'the pain of choosing' for customers by piling on too many services?
Listen to the 'customer's true feelings': Dare to ask recent customers or employees flatly from a beginner's perspective, 'Where were you confused?'
A Cheer from the President's Advisor
Does the service or product your company boasts truly draw a 'gentle guidepost that allows customers to arrive without getting lost'?
Let's sweat together.
▼ For consultations, contact the President's Advisor
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