It's often about asking, not
about what's needed.
Years ago, when I lived in
California, I'd go to the grocery store nearly every day. I usually paid by
check. Each time, the clerk would ask me for my phone number and then write it
on the check.
When I ran out of checks, I
decided to be clever and had my phone number printed on them. You guessed it,
without missing a beat, that same clerk started asking me for my driver's
license number (and yes, I did it one more time, and we moved on to my social
security number).
The information wasn't the
point. It was the asking, the time taken to look closely at the document.
It's tempting to listen to our
customers ("why aren't there warm nuts in first class?") and then add
the features they request. But often, you'll find that these very same
customers are asking for something else. Maybe they don't actually want a
discount, just the knowledge that they tried to get one.
What's really happening here
is that people are seeking the edges, trying to find something that gets a
reaction, a point of failure, proof that your patience, your largesse or your
menu isn't infinite. Get patient with your toddler, and you might discover your
toddler starts to seek a new way to get your attention. Give that investigating
committee what they're asking, and they'll ask for something else.
They're not looking for one
more thing, they're looking for a 'no', for acknowledgment that they reached
the edge. That's precisely what they're seeking, and you're quite able to offer
them that edge of finiteness.
Sometimes, "no, I'm
sorry, we can't do that," is a feature.
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