The Most Convenient Guitar In The World

Today’s customers want and expect a frictionless experience – in other words, a convenient experience. I’ve written quite a lot about the topic of eliminating friction and even authored a book, The Convenience Revolution. This is one of the most important, powerful customer experience strategies an organization can implement. It takes good customer service and experience and makes it even better. Most of what I have written has been focused on the process. What I want to explore now is how convenience can be built into the product.

I’ve often wondered how the idea of a keyless entry and ignition for an automobile came to be. Who was the brilliant person who decided using a key was so “old-school”? He or she must have thought, “How can we eliminate the key and still keep the car locked?” It was brilliant thinking – and engineering – behind this simple concept that we now take for granted.

I need reading glasses. I need them most when I’m in a dark restaurant and can’t read the menu. I’ve always asked my wife to keep my glasses in her purse. That’s great when she’s with me. But what about when she’s not? I no longer have to worry, as I found a pair of glasses that would fold down into a very small case that fits in my pants pocket – it’s almost as small as my keychain. (Here’s a convenient idea … make the case the keychain!) As convenient as that is, another company came up with what I think is an even better idea. The company is ThinOptics, and it makes a pair of glasses that fits in a super skinny case you can adhere to the back of your cell phone. I hardly know it’s there, but I always have my “readers” with me when I need them.

That brings me to my final example, and the main reason for this article. I recently met Jonathan Spangler, CEO and founder of Ciari Guitars. He’s a patent attorney turned entrepreneur who came up with an idea. He shared his philosophy about convenience. It’s simple:

Find the friction in your life, solve it, and you’ll solve it for others.

The opposite of friction is convenience, and the friction in Spangler’s life had to do with his guitar. He was in a band and wanted to rehearse his songs. The problem was that he traveled almost every week and he could only take two items on his flights – a small personal item that can fit under the seat and a piece of carry-on luggage that must fit in the overhead bin. Bringing a guitar with him would mean having to check either the guitar or his clothes. He was afraid that if he checked his carry-on luggage it might get lost or delayed. He was also worried that if he checked his guitar, it might be damaged. This was Spangler’s friction.

How did he solve it? His answer was a guitar that could fold in half and fit in his backpack or carry-on, but still had the quality, “look, feel and play” he wanted in a traditional electric guitar.

Prior to developing this invention, Spangler worked at a medical device company that revolutionized spine surgery through innovation. Although he invented the basic concept, Spangler quipped, “I’m smart enough to know I’m not smart enough,” and he engaged various experts to help bring his vision to life. He employed top-tier medical engineers to conquer the challenge of mid-neck folding, as well as celebrated luthier Joe Glaser to ensure premium instrument craftsmanship.

The result: The Ascender™ premium travel guitar. When deployed for performing, it’s a high-quality guitar with a traditional look, feel and play. When it’s time to go, it transforms into a compact, transportable guitar via a hidden lever that tucks neatly along its lower edge. The lever unlocks the neck hinge, allowing the guitar to fold in half. To play again, simply straighten the neck and rotate the lever back to lock the hinge and tighten the strings. Now that’s convenience!

Just last month he announced the opportunity to buy one of the first 100 being produced. There was a frenzy of orders placed. It appears that many others like the idea of a travel guitar that provides a similar quality, look and feel as a “normal” guitar.

Whether it’s keyless entry, super thin reading glasses or a high-end folding travel guitar, convenience is being baked into almost every aspect of our lives, from the products we use to the convenient and friction-free ways they are delivered. Take a look at what you sell. Whether it’s a tangible product or a service offering, ask yourself where you can eliminate friction. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes, and as Spangler says, “Find the friction in your life [and your customers’ lives], solve it, and you’ll solve it for others.”