It is so much simpler today to find out what customers want, than it ever was before. Of course, the same things that make it so much easier to find out how best to serve customers can also make these people more difficult to satisfy. Analysis and data can be very helpful, but they simply won’t do the whole job. What is important to remember, and easy to forget, is that customers are real people, not just figurative characters or statistics. Real people have voices, and like to be heard. There is no simpler way to find out what people want than by just asking them. In addition, today, people have so many ways to be heard that it is dizzying. What these people have to say may not always be positive or encouraging, but the fact is, they will probably be saying it whether or not a business actually listens. It’s probably better to hear what they have to say, and maybe even give them a place to say it.