Can "bad" service be "good" service?

Illustration of a person next to a huge sad face

My two cents

Yes! Sometimes it's best to leave a service with some flaws that can give a special taste to it. When everything is perfect, it can be pretty bland.

Ben Reason, one of the founders of Livework (the first Service Design consultancy in history), wrote a lovely article called "My guilty service design secret". In it, Ben starts with this sentence:

"I think poor service can add to life’s rich tapestry"

I highly recommend you read that piece as it has three stories that show that:

  • Hard to use service can give a sense of pride to the user that masters them

  • Chaos can be a cultural aspect that attracts tourists

  • Differences in the service delivery can bring a touch of emotion

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