Let some real customers do the testing, upfront


A few days ago I did buy a combination ticket (entrance, train and bus) for visiting the Keukenhof. The Keukenhof is one of the main attractions here in The Netherlands. As a flower show, it is open for only 2 months and has already received 900.000 visitors this year.
So, you would expect a seamless approach for selling me the combination ticket. That was, unfortunately, not the case. The number of clicks and visits to different sites is way too much. It starts at the Keukenhof, then to the Spoordeelwinkel (the shop from the railway), then to the bank, then back to the Spoordeelwinkel. And when you think that you are finished, you do receive separately two confirmation mails (from the railway, respectively the Keukenhof). Via theses mails you have to go to the respective sites and PRINT the documents! Yes, it even is mentioned that showing the docs on an electrical device is not valid!
This buying experience took an hour or so. And then I had to take the printed docs with me on the trip.

Yes, technically it all worked, but it wasn’t easy and  it didn’t give me the feeling that they have done their best to give me a super experience, right from the start.

That nuisance could have been prevented, by simply asking some customers upfront  to test the buying process and letting them share their experience.


Are you using real customers/prospects to test your services?




Enthusiasm drives Excellence!






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