The a priori strategies of the developers discounted the fact that the machines really held no intrinsic customer benefits and missed the fact that electronic ticketing would quickly render the basic ETDN premise meaningless. Successful developers, retailers, and product-planners learned long ago that only through coming to terms with whatever customer behavior might be are they able to develop and deploy successful products. This understanding often by itself describes success or failure. Moreover, people frequently do not fully understand why they behave as they do. Simply recognizing a reaction does not of itself convey sufficient information to develop sustainable products or services.
Travel is a more compelling and emotional subject than is apparent on a purely intellectual level.
It would seem that simply acquiring travel services that consist of known and agreed elements delivered according to contractural commitments would be as straightforward as any other purchasing process. Yet, travel agents long ago learned that senior executives pay wholly disproportionate attention to both the acquisition and administration of travel services because they directly touch themselves and their immediate associates. A useful example of a priori reasoning in this manner is the general dissatisfaction with travel purchasing most people keenly feel. In reality, tangible customer benefits enabled by such links are frequently difficult to describe. As with any controversial subject it is appropriate to call upon people making assertions to assume the burden of proof.