Connect your service strategy to customers' real needs by understanding the outcomes they want, the problems they face, and how those needs change across the equipment lifecycle. For service product management and customer experience leaders, that means combining customer conversations with frontline observations rather than assuming one service package fits everyone. Use those insights to shape offerings, support priorities, and the value you communicate.

A live conversation at the 2026 Field Service Next West conference emphasized listening before proposing a solution. Salvador Accardo, now Vice President of Sales at CBRE, advised: "Nine times out of 10, the customer will tell you everything you want to know if you just listen." He also described how technicians' site observations can help sales teams determine whether an issue is isolated or shared across multiple facilities. The broader lesson is to connect customer feedback and field knowledge before deciding what to offer.

In Service Next Insights' The State of Field Service in 2026 report, 49% of the 100 senior leaders surveyed identified product and service marketing solutions as a top investment priority for the next 12 months. That emphasis makes customer understanding especially relevant: teams need to know which needs their offerings address before deciding how to position and promote them.

Start with a small set of customer interviews across different equipment lifecycle stages. Ask about operational priorities, recurring frustrations, and gaps in current support, then compare those answers with technicians' observations. Group customers by shared needs, identify where existing offerings fall short, and test a revised proposition before expanding it.

Join service product management and customer experience leaders at Service Next West to explore how customer insight can guide more relevant service offerings and stronger value propositions.