Poisoning the well

I'm one of those people who browse through shops looking at products not to use them, but to see opportunity. To see if I can integrate them into something larger than they've originally been designed to do. I know those CD's were designed to hold data and audio, but wouldn't they make awesome flying saucers!? What if I decided to use them for a different purpose!?

If it wasn't for people continued innovation and pushing the envelope, we wouldn't have all these amazing advancements we're seeing everyday. Our lives wouldn't be as easy as it is today.

From time to time, I descend from my ivory tower and actually listen to see how customers use some products and see how can we make these things better. For some reason, my mind keeps a mental note of the different ways the customers use the products. And seriously, it's mind boggling at times. Any possible way that you think could be used, they would use it. Regardless if it's valid or invalid, they'll try it, and if it works they'll continue to use it. Documenting it or not is beside the point!

I just wish that I would find people in the customer service industry that are willing and competent enough to really understand and provide smart relevant answers. They should also be adaptive the the type of question, so in case they didn't get it the first time, they're able to rethink it, and provide a more relevant answer

One might ask, maybe you have a communication problem with these people and you actually should be clearer in the way you deliver the message. That would be true in two case. If the product actually existed in abundance. Or If I haven't researched such product already online.

For some reason, I'm always the one with hard questions. I'm the one that has the sales representatives scratch their head for a few moments before offering something that's completely unrelated, or simply giving up!

Funny thing, on couple of occasions. I asked like 5 reps at a store about a product. And they looked at me as if I was talking gibberish. Then a little young kid from the automotive department, answered me, got me the product and was able to really think outside of the box.

Someone once told me when dealing with phone customer-service, "If you don't like the answer, hang up and call again"