seth godin: this is broken

Ross encouraged us to watch this Seth Godin video yesterday. I'm glad he did, because when I first came across the post myself, I pushed play and saw the 20-some-minute duration and navigated away. It turned out to be not only entertaining, but valid to just about anyone, on any given day, who actively participates in the real world.

I hate when I order water at a restaurant and, by default, it comes with a lemon. I didn't order lemon water, I ordered water. I bet you've never gotten a water that came with an iced tea bag in it simply by asking for a water. Iced tea is equally acceptable as a beverage, yet you'd have to ask for it. Why then, do restaurant managers / staff assume that you want the extras? Probably as Seth points out, because it's not their job to change the status quo; someone above them told them that at the specific establishment, we serve water with a lemon. It's the person's job to bring guests the product that management has created, not to challenge said product. On the other hand, when is the last time you ordered a lemonade and got that same lemon garnish without asking? Slim chance, if any. But why? I would be enthralled if my lemonade from a dispenser came with a fresh lemon. But it's not the server's job to develop the product, so instead you get the water with the lemon and the lemonade with nothing.

When you begin to look at things this way, it seems increasingly easier to stand out -- to be only marginally less broken, but less broken across the board translates into a much smoother operation overall.

bk