Asking ChatGPT for advice about research methods – a Kano example #AI Tip

Ray Poynter, 20 January 2025

---

Two or three times a year I receive a message from an agency saying their client wants to do a study using the Kano Model. They ask whether I can explain it to them so they can respond. In the future, they will get a faster and cheaper answer by asking ChatGPT (or any other leading AI platform). I also get queries about various techniques, such as MaxDiff, ServQual, and Driver Analysis. ChatGPT will respond faster and cheaper than I will to all of these.

In this post I show how I might set about asking ChatGPT to help concerning Kano.

The initial prompt
This is perhaps the most critical step; you need to create the right context and the right question.

Prompt: “My client is a French hotel group, and they have contacted my research agency saying they want to do a project with their customers using Kano. What is Kano and why might my client be asking for it?”

I set the context, France, hotel chain, and customers; I run a research agency. I ask two straightforward questions: what is Kano, and why might my client want to use it?

Response
“The Kano Model is a framework for understanding customer satisfaction and prioritizing features or attributes of a product or service. It helps organizations determine which features will have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction, allowing them to focus on those aspects that matter most.

Key Concepts of the Kano Model:

1. Types of Features:

• Must-Have (Basic Needs): These are the essential features customers expect. If these are missing, customers will be dissatisfied, but exceeding them doesn’t increase satisfaction.
• Performance Needs (One-Dimensional): Satisfaction increases linearly as these features improve. Customers explicitly value these features.
• Delighters (Excitement Needs): These are unexpected features that delight customers and create a competitive advantage. Their absence doesn’t lead to dissatisfaction, but their presence enhances satisfaction.
• Indifferent Features: These don’t significantly impact satisfaction, regardless of presence or absence.
• Reverse Features: Some features may lead to dissatisfaction if they are present, depending on customer preferences.

2. How It Works:

• Customers are typically asked two questions for each feature:
• How would you feel if this feature was present? (Functional)
• How would you feel if this feature was absent? (Dysfunctional)
• Responses are analyzed to classify each feature into the categories above.

 

Why Might Your Client Be Asking for Kano?

1. Customer-Centric Innovation:

• The hotel group likely wants to improve their service or facilities in a way that directly aligns with customer needs and expectations.

2. Feature Prioritization:

• They may be planning to upgrade their properties, introduce new amenities, or enhance the customer experience and want data to decide which features to prioritize.

3. Competitive Differentiation:

• The Kano model can help identify “delighters” that could set them apart from competitors and create a memorable customer experience.

4. Optimizing Investment:

• By identifying which features customers find essential or delightful, they can allocate resources efficiently to maximize satisfaction and ROI.

 

Would you like guidance on designing a Kano survey or interpreting results?”

Iterate 1
To help understand something, I like to know about the alternatives. Knowing which other approaches might answer the same sorts of problems will help me understand the approach under investigation better.

Prompt 2: “In the context of my client, what are the main alternatives to Kano?”

Response
“For your client—a French hotel group considering the Kano model—there are several alternative frameworks and methods they could use to understand and prioritize customer needs and expectations. Here are some of the main alternatives:

1. Conjoint Analysis

• What it is: A method that identifies how customers value different attributes of a service or product by presenting trade-offs. Customers are asked to rank or choose between sets of options with varying combinations of features.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Helps quantify the value of individual features.
• Ideal for pricing decisions or feature prioritization in a hotel context (e.g., room upgrades, breakfast options, amenities like pools or spas).
• Strengths:
• Provides precise insights into customer preferences.
• Allows simulation of how changes to features or pricing affect choices.
• Limitations: More complex to set up and analyze compared to Kano.

2. Customer Journey Mapping

• What it is: A qualitative approach to visualize and analyze the steps a customer goes through when interacting with a brand or service.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Identifies pain points and moments of delight in the customer’s journey.
• Can be used to prioritize improvements to the most impactful touchpoints, like booking, check-in, or room service.
• Strengths:
• Holistic understanding of the customer experience.
• Focuses on the emotional and practical aspects of service delivery.
• Limitations: Doesn’t directly prioritize features but provides context for decision-making.

3. Net Promoter Score (NPS) with Follow-Up Insights

• What it is: A survey tool asking customers how likely they are to recommend a service (on a 0–10 scale), followed by open-ended questions about why they gave that score.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Provides direct feedback on what drives satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
• Helps identify which features contribute most to loyalty or detract from it.
• Strengths:
• Simple and widely recognized.
• Can track satisfaction trends over time.
• Limitations: Doesn’t explicitly categorize features or provide trade-off insights.

4. SERVQUAL (Service Quality Framework)

• What it is: A method for measuring service quality based on five dimensions: Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Specifically designed for service industries like hospitality.
• Evaluates gaps between customer expectations and perceptions.
• Strengths:
• Tailored to service quality, addressing both functional and emotional aspects.
• Can pinpoint areas where customer expectations aren’t being met.
• Limitations: Less focused on feature innovation; more about improving existing services.

5. Voice of the Customer (VoC) Programs

• What it is: A collection of methods (surveys, interviews, social media listening) to gather customer feedback and prioritize based on recurring themes.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Captures direct input from guests about their preferences.
• Can guide decisions on amenities, service improvements, or new offerings.
• Strengths:
• Flexibility to explore various customer inputs.
• Helps identify latent needs that customers may not articulate directly.
• Limitations: Broad insights may require additional analysis for prioritization.

6. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA)

• What it is: A matrix-based method that plots features based on their importance to customers and the client’s performance in delivering them.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Helps prioritize features needing improvement or those to maintain.
• Can evaluate areas like cleanliness, staff friendliness, or Wi-Fi reliability.
• Strengths:
• Simple visual output for decision-making.
• Identifies areas where resources should be focused.
• Limitations: Doesn’t distinguish between different types of needs (e.g., delighters vs. basics).

7. Design Thinking

• What it is: A human-centered problem-solving process emphasizing empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
• Why it’s relevant:
• Focuses on deeply understanding customer experiences to innovate.
• Can help generate new ideas for hotel services or experiences.
• Strengths:
• Encourages creativity and iterative feedback.
• Useful for ideating “delighter” features.
• Limitations: Less structured for prioritization and more time-intensive.

Summary: Comparing Alternatives to Kano

• For innovation and feature prioritization: Conjoint Analysis or IPA.
• For holistic service improvement: Customer Journey Mapping or SERVQUAL.
• For quick feedback on satisfaction: NPS with insights or VoC.
• For customer-centric design: Design Thinking.

Your client might lean towards alternatives depending on their specific goals. For example:

• If they want detailed trade-offs: Conjoint Analysis.
• If they need a simple evaluation of gaps: IPA or SERVQUAL.

Would you like more detail on any of these methods or advice on how to propose these to your client?”

Iteration 2
There are many directions I could go in, but for this example, I am going to get ChatGPT to give me two contrasting proposals. These proposal are starting points, firstly I would tweak them, then I would use them as a the basis of a conversation with the client.

Prompt 3: “I want to give them a proposal with two choices, Kano and one other. I know they want to be customer-centric, and they want to achieve improvements that are affordable and for which customers are willing to pay. Show me a typical Kano project and the best alternative project.”

Response:
“Here’s a proposal that outlines two project choices: a Kano Model project and a Conjoint Analysis project. Both focus on being customer-centric and achieving affordable improvements that align with customer willingness to pay.

Proposal: Understanding and Prioritizing Customer Needs

Option 1: Kano Model Project

Objective: Identify and prioritize hotel features based on their impact on customer satisfaction, focusing on basic needs, performance features, and potential delight factors.

Steps:

1. Kickoff Meeting (Week 1):

• Understand the hotel group’s strategic goals and planned areas for improvement (e.g., amenities, room upgrades, services).
• Define the scope of features to evaluate.

2. Customer Survey Design (Weeks 2–3):

• Develop a structured Kano questionnaire, with two questions per feature:
• Functional: How would you feel if this feature were available?
• Dysfunctional: How would you feel if this feature were not available?
• Include 8–15 features for evaluation (e.g., free Wi-Fi, luxury toiletries, sustainable practices, personalized check-ins).

3. Data Collection (Weeks 4–5):

• Deploy the survey to a sample of customers (e.g., recent guests or loyalty program members).
• Collect a statistically significant number of responses (e.g., 300–500).

4. Analysis (Weeks 6–7):

• Classify features into Kano categories:
• Must-Have, Performance, Delighter, Indifferent, Reverse.
• Identify “delighter” opportunities and ensure “must-haves” are met.

5. Reporting & Recommendations (Week 8):

• Deliver a report with:
• Clear categorization of features.
• Recommendations on which features to prioritize based on customer impact and feasibility.

Outcome:

• Insights into customer expectations and opportunities for delight.
• Clear prioritization of features, focusing on affordable improvements.

 

Option 2: Conjoint Analysis Project

Objective: Quantify customer preferences and identify features that provide the most value, balancing improvements with affordability and customer willingness to pay.

Steps:

1. Kickoff Meeting (Week 1):

• Align on the features and price points to evaluate.
• Define key attributes (e.g., room type, breakfast options, service levels, sustainability practices).

2. Survey Design (Weeks 2–3):

• Create a choice-based conjoint survey where customers select their preferred options from sets of packages combining different features and price levels.
• Include 4–6 attributes, each with 3–4 levels (e.g., “Room Type” with Standard, Deluxe, Suite).

3. Data Collection (Weeks 4–5):

• Administer the survey to a representative sample (300–500 participants).
• Ensure respondents represent the target customer segments.

4. Analysis (Weeks 6–7):

• Use statistical models to determine the relative importance of each attribute.
• Calculate willingness to pay for upgrades or features.

5. Reporting & Recommendations (Week 8):

• Provide a detailed report, including:
• Attribute importance rankings.
• Willingness-to-pay estimates.
• Simulated scenarios showing the impact of offering specific features at different price points.

Outcome:

• Clear understanding of what customers value most and what they are willing to pay for.
• Insights to design packages or prioritize features with maximum ROI.”

More Iterations
I also asked ChatGPT to list reasons why Kano might be the wrong choice, for a list of agencies who could support me when conducting a Kano Project, and for places where I could learn more about using the Kano Model. I received good answers to all of them.

Conclusion
If you are asked to conduct a project using an approach (qual or quant) that you are unfamiliar with. You will probably still want to talk to a human expert if you win the job, but in the early stages of deciding whether to pitch, asking the client for clarification, and working through ideas, AI can help you.

Want to learn more about using AI?
I am running a wide range of courses showing how to leverage ChatGPT and Copilot; you can find out about the courses by clicking here.