Imagine your user, sitting there, late for a meeting, frustrated because they can't do the thing they desperately want to do. Every error message you put into your product is an opportunity for good service. You have to plan error messages and error handling into your schedule if you want to provide quality service as part of your Web site or product. Project managers should always add error coverage as a feature that is officially entered in the schedules for the dev and test teams. A great error is one that has been eliminated through superior error-handling code and product design.
Service goes beyond error messages that provide great support instead of blaming the user.
There are countless opportunities throughout a user's experience to provide great service. Watch someone using the key features of your Web site and ask yourself how it compares to the level of service you'd expect at a good store or restaurant. A good waiter knows when to interrupt you, when to leave you alone, and how to do it all in a courteous and respectful way. The closer your Web site or software quality comes to the levels of good service people get in their daily experiences, the closer you'll be to having a great product. Making Time to Create Great Products Doing anything well is hard.