We’ve all heard horror stories about companies investing resources in something that turns out to be a flop or just a waste because it wasn’t what people wanted, needed, or understood.  At Southpaw, we help save our clients from debacles like that.  

We help our clients understand what people think, feel, and do – so they can make smart decisions. Here’s a quick example…

Our client, a department store, was introducing self-checkout. We did shop-alongs in a test store, talking to customers about the checkout process and watching them go through it. By being on the ground, we were able to see how people really used the self-checkout kiosks and where they had problems. 

One of the first problems we spotted was hanger disposal. People buying clothes needed somewhere to put their hangers, and the store had anticipated this– they provided bins on the ground at each kiosk. Unfortunately, the “hanger” symbol on the bins was not visible from above– so people didn’t see it, and many mistook the hanger bin for a trashcan. More than one customer spit their gum into the bin, and a minute later asked: “Where am I supposed to put the hangers?!?”  

One of our (easily implemented) suggestions to the store designers was to adjust the signage to make it clear what the bin was for. This was a small problem and was quickly fixed– which made the checkout time faster AND freed employees from having to clean gum off the hangers. Everybody was happy!

This is just one example of how we help our clients make smart decisions that increase productivity and reduce waste… and avoid making mistakes that cost them time and money. Here’s another story about how research showed our client that their logo was way off-base – and gave them the information needed to tweak their creative so it resonated with their target audience.

Want to learn more about how research can help YOU make smart decisions? Contact us.