The under-utilisation of the Reverse category

Don't be disappointed when a feature falls in the Reverse category

Many academic researchers don't pay much attention to the Reverse category. But there's a lot to learn from features that fall into this category.

A Reverse feature is one that decreases customer satisfaction when it is present. For example, "some real estate customers may view having large windows in a house as a reverse requirement and want smaller windows instead for energy-saving concerns" (Sireli et al., 2007)

However, this doesn't always mean that the opposite of your Reverse feature should be added to your product.

If you look closer at Reverse features, you'll notice subtle differences in what their being in that category could mean. Take these three examples:

• The amount of noise of an air conditioner makes;

• Entering your details when ordering something online;

• A restaurant serves you a soup overdosed with salt.

If the noise your air conditioner makes is reduced, your satisfaction with it will go up. The less noise, the better.

You expect to have to enter your details when ordering something online. That's accepted and does not create dissatisfaction with a product. However, not having to enter your details at all would increase satisfaction.

An overdose of salt in your soup is not accepted, but its absence would not increase satisfaction. You simply expect soup without an overdose of salt.

You've probably noticed that these three types of "reverseness" correspond to the other main Kano categories:

• The noise of the air conditioner is a reverse One-Dimensional feature (the less, the better);

• Having to enter your details when ordering online does not generate dissatisfaction. Yet, not having to do so would increase satisfaction. That's a reverse Attract;

• The absence of an overdose of salt does not increase satisfaction, but its presence increases dissatisfaction. A reverse Natural;

But what about the the smaller windows example from the beginning of this chapter?

• Some people may think smaller windows are the norm (reverse Natural)

• Others may accept large windows but would be pleasantly surprised with smaller windows (reverse Attract)

• Still others may think: the smaller the windows, the better, but it's not a real deal-breaker (reverse One-Dimensional).

It's worth looking in detail at the answers you received to derive the type of reverseness of your feature.

Berger et al (1993) adapted the Kano lookup table to take into account these different flavours of Reverse:

Feature presence ↓	Feature absence →
	Like	Expect	Neutral	Accept	Dislike
Like
Expect	Ra
Neutral	Ra
Accept	Ra
Dislike	Ro	Rm	Rm	Rm

This nuance will help you decide what to do with the feature. Horton & Goers (1999) translate these Reverse subcategories to:

• Reverse-Attract: a burden, eliminating these is a source of innovation (like Amazon’s one-click ordering) and will attract customers;

• Reverse-One-Dimensional: a competitive weakness, reducing these will increase competitiveness (the more silent the air conditioner, the better);

• Reverse-Natural: a deal-breaker. These features are to be avoided, lest customer will reject your product. No-one wants soup containing more salt than water.