Customer Perception Model: Know thy customer

It’s important to know how your “working” software is being received out in the field.  Immediate customer feedback is one thing during a release but what about after the code actually gets out into the field.  How are those users feeling!

Enter the Customer(field) Perception Model:

As you can see this is a very complex model that involves several frequencies and an algorithm that will make your head explode. 

No, seriously this model if you will, is intended to be utilized by the product owner or anyone who is the advocate for the field.  We try to update this as much as possible to determine if our users are really happy with the software we produce.

Do not base the model on defects found in production or any other metric!  There might not be any defects but your users may not like how the system works!  They will use it but they don’t like it.

It is those users that we mentioned above that we are targeting with this model.  This is their voice and as your customers you should do something about it.

If we start to drop down into the more unpleasant side of the scale we quickly call a retrospective to determine where the team missed the mark and how can we adjust the current release to bring the “happiness coefficient” (ha you like?) up again.

This model is completely subjective and based on the product owners ability to gauge the field.  If that communication isn’t there (first that is a process smell) second you have bigger issues that need to be dealt with.

Put this up on a wall where everyone can see.  Don’t hide from your system or your users.  Make it to where the CIO passes by and notices that the scale is on the ugly side.  Trust me things will get done!

Enjoy!