In the past few weeks I have learned way more about toilets and how toilet seats attach than I have ever wanted to. After having the plastic hinges wear out and break on a porcelain toilet seat on one of my toilets, I ignorantly thought, “no big deal, get a new toilet seat, unscrew the old one, and screw in the new one”. Boy was I in for a rude awakening.

Why am I talking about toilets and toilet seats? They’re simply another product that we use. As change agents / leaders, frequently we’re focused on continuously improving a product or service. As you think about the product or service you’re working on or responsible for, ask yourself:

• How easy is it for customers to use your product or service?

• What is the customer experience when it comes to product maintenance / repairs?

• How open minded are you and your staff to customer feedback on the above?

• How well are customers listened to on the above?

After going through the below product experience with one of my toilets, I decided to write this blog post to illustrate how a company can frustrate its customers with:

• Their product design

• How they choose to respond to customer feedback