SDP-007. Don't Solve Every Problem You Are Asked to Solve

Guy: Seven. Don't solve every problem you're asked to solve.asked to solve.

Guy: Welcome to Service Design Principles. I'm Guy Martin, joined by the author of the ServiceGuy Martin, joined by the author of the Service

Design Principles series of books. Founder of the Swiss Innovation Academy and Service designthe Swiss Innovation Academy and Service design

practitioner, the enigmatic Daniele Catalanotto.

Daniele: Hi Guy, it's such a pleasure to be here.

Guy: Same here. Now, each episode we look at one of the principles from your book, the Serviceof the principles from your book, the Service

Design principles 1 to 100. today, it's principle number seven. Don't solve everyprinciple number seven. Don't solve every

problem you're asked to solve. Now, this is a good one as naturally helpful people, andgood one as naturally helpful people, and

perhaps also people who enjoy a good puzzle, can be drawn into trying to solve every problem thatbe drawn into trying to solve every problem that

passes our way. Why isn't this productive?

Daniele: I think now that I'm a dad, I have a bit of an additional take on that, which is, youbit of an additional take on that, which is, you

know, when you're kids, you know, they ask you for help and they say that can you please openfor help and they say that can you please open

the bottle, you know, bringing you a problem, you know, and got up to a certain age, you openyou know, and got up to a certain age, you open

the bottle for them because obviously muscular elements and dexterity are in there and youelements and dexterity are in there and you

don't want to get all the orange juice on on your pants, obviously. But there are momentsyour pants, obviously. But there are moments

where later you have to just don't. So you don't have to solve the problem because what thehave to solve the problem because what the

problem that that the your your little one is giving you is like it's not I can't open thegiving you is like it's not I can't open the

bottle. It's like I didn't learn how to open the bottle. It's like, okay, and why didn't youbottle. It's like, okay, and why didn't you

learn about to open the bottle? Because I never teach. Taught you how to do it. And now. Okay,teach. Taught you how to do it. And now. Okay,

let's solve the real problem. Which is we never took. We never took a moment to see how can wetook. We never took a moment to see how can we

open a bottle, you know, and. And do it at a level where I maybe open the first part and youlevel where I maybe open the first part and you

do the other parts, and. And you learn about it. And so it's it's it's recognizing that first andAnd so it's it's it's recognizing that first and

there are problems which are not the right problem. And therefore, you have to go back andproblem. And therefore, you have to go back and

ask, why is this happening? And then there is another part, which is sometimes there areanother part, which is sometimes there are

problems which are good because they are learning opportunities and or they are goodlearning opportunities and or they are good

branding opportunities where it gives you then a possibility to create an interaction.possibility to create an interaction.

Guy: the. The five whys, for example, is was a way of getting to the root cause of a problem.way of getting to the root cause of a problem.

So we learn this doing diagnostics and troubleshooting and those sorts of things. Buttroubleshooting and those sorts of things. But

you mentioned it's a branding opportunity. So just go a little bit more into into what youjust go a little bit more into into what you

mean by that.

Daniele: So the listeners might know that we love hotels, which is a thing that we speak alove hotels, which is a thing that we speak a

lot of that

and I'm going to steal a story from another principal. But but which goes really well withprincipal. But but which goes really well with

this one, which is a story about a air conditioning, you know, And so there was a hotelconditioning, you know, And so there was a hotel

where we went to and they had the problem was, was air conditioning, basically. They didn'twas air conditioning, basically. They didn't

have all the rooms with air conditioning. But instead of putting already the fan an extra faninstead of putting already the fan an extra fan

in the room, what they make you do is they they they ask they wait that you come back down andthey ask they wait that you come back down and

they say and that you say, oh, there is no air conditioning. And in that room I said, Oh, I'mconditioning. And in that room I said, Oh, I'm

so sorry. Yes, yes, yes, it's terrible. But here is a fan and a bottle of champagne. How is itis a fan and a bottle of champagne. How is it

there? There is an opportunity to say, let's not solve the problem because we can't put airsolve the problem because we can't put air

conditioning everywhere. And that's and these these rooms are cheaper and they tell you thethese rooms are cheaper and they tell you the

rooms are cheaper. They don't have air conditioning. And they tell you that once youconditioning. And they tell you that once you

buy it. And so it's clear in the contract. But once you come in Sicily and it's too warm, youonce you come in Sicily and it's too warm, you

just say, I need something. And here there is an opportunity to say let's let's not solve theopportunity to say let's let's not solve the

problem, but use it as a way and an opportunity to create another interaction.to create another interaction.

Guy: That's interesting. It it makes me think about and I don't know if there's a term for it,about and I don't know if there's a term for it,

but I call it, The service paradox, which is where something goes wrong and you're able towhere something goes wrong and you're able to

solve it, and your reputation with your customer is actually higher than if nothing went wrong atis actually higher than if nothing went wrong at

all. Now, obviously, you don't want to create problems for customers. You want to have thingsproblems for customers. You want to have things

go smoothly, but at the same time, it's an opportunity to demonstrate how good you are atopportunity to demonstrate how good you are at

solving problems. So yeah, it kind of ties in to that. But this is a little bit more deliberatethat. But this is a little bit more deliberate

in a way, right?

Daniele: Yeah. And and then it comes to ask a question, you know, which is when we say don'tquestion, you know, which is when we say don't

solve every problem yours to solve, it just means like there are problems which might notmeans like there are problems which might not

happen often where you say the cost of solving it so that it never happens is way too high forit so that it never happens is way too high for

us, that we could just say it might happen a few times and we know that it might happen. And whentimes and we know that it might happen. And when

it happens, we have a way to turning it into a delightful experience. And so it's kind of likedelightful experience. And so it's kind of like

not trying to make it like a fake moment, but saying, hey, there is good reason for us to notsaying, hey, there is good reason for us to not

solve it because it's just not happening enough or the cost of solving it is way too big. But weor the cost of solving it is way too big. But we

are going to be going to choose to turn it into something that is quite coolsomething that is quite cool

Guy: And not everyone may have an issue with their not being an air conditioner. Maybe sometheir not being an air conditioner. Maybe some

people like a warmer room or something like this.

Daniele: you know, because many people, you know, say air conditioning is especially today, yousay air conditioning is especially today, you

know, it's like

Guy: Unsustainable.

Daniele: sustainability. Not good. I'm in Italy, so it's warm, it's okay. I'm going to open theso it's warm, it's okay. I'm going to open the

window, feel the feel of the sea, you know, and hear the seagulls, if that's an experience, too.hear the seagulls, if that's an experience, too.

You know, it's also part of the of the Sicilian charm, that half of it is broken, you know, andcharm, that half of it is broken, you know, and

that which is good, you know, because, you know, I can say that because I'm half Sicilian, youI can say that because I'm half Sicilian, you

know, And it's part of and it's part of our charm, you know, it's like it's like this this,charm, you know, it's like it's like this this,

this, like and perfect world, which when you're coming from Switzerland or other northerncoming from Switzerland or other northern

countries, you know, you're also searching (for) that romantic. Kind of half broken half workingthat romantic. Kind of half broken half working

experience, you know and and as you say, it's like the problem from one is not the problem forlike the problem from one is not the problem for

the other. What is the problem for for everyone? Obviously, it's it makes sense to solve it.Obviously, it's it makes sense to solve it.

Guy: So thank you very much again, Daniele.

Daniele: Thanks to you.