One thing that really annoys me about the sophomore albums put out by bands is their move from singing about what's inspired them in their life, to singing about their experiences on the road. I don't care what life is like on tour for Bon Jovi. However, this isn't going to stop me from falling into the same trap while traveling this week.
What's the deal with World Dryer Corp's hand dryers? They're in almost every rest area and gas station I've been in over the past 2000 miles I've driven this week, yet they consistently don't work. While this isn't exactly a new observation for me, it finally occurred to me that even World Dryer realizes this based on the copy they put on the dryers:
To me, that meekly admits, "Yeah, yeah, we know our hand dryers don't actually dry your hands, but look at the benefits." And it doesn't have to be this way. Why not just make a better dryer so you don't have to apologize? In fact, such a dryer exists. It's called the XLERATOR and it peels water off your hands. Frankly, I was shocked the first time I used one because it actually worked. Here it is:
I'm not the only XLERATOR user impressed with this machine based on the photos taken of XLERATOR experiences posted to Flickr:
If businesses used the XLERATOR, they wouldn't have to put up signs like this one:
Lesson for tech: if you find yourself looking for external justifications for your product, it may be time to refocus on your core competencies. Why? Because companies with better hand dryers can claim the exact same side benefits AND they actually dry hands. In fact, that's EXACTLY what the XLERATOR folks do on their
web site: "
Dries Hands Completely in 10 to 15 Seconds"
Luckily for World Dryer, people are less finicky when choosing hand dryers compared to consumer electronics, web sites, and fast food, so mediocrity is more sustainable.
How do you make a product so much better than the status quo that people will take pictures of themselves with it?
