Adaptation occurs gradually. Dirt roads transformed into paved asphalt with vehicles buzzing across. A brick-sized cell phone shifted into a thin, touch-screen device. Adaptation transformation enhances products and devices to reach higher quality levels.
Gen-Y Hitch adapts to consumer demands. The towing supplier advances product innovation by retaining and applying consumer feedback.
Earlier this week, Gen-Y released a video on its Boss Drop Hitch. The video not only demonstrated the hitch’s function but showcased various changes since the product was originally launched in 2016.
Gen-Y Hitch Marketing Director Donna Schmucker said the supplier conducts a consumer feedback process to refine all products.
The process begins with Gen-Y’s inside retail sales team, which collects feedback through phone calls, emails and walk-in interactions. When team members see common trends, they report to Gen-Y’s weekly team meetings.
“So we take that to the drawing board,” Schmucker said, “and try to improve it from there.”
The issues are presented to the engineering team, which seeks a solution.
The Boss Drop Hitch had various cosmetic changes and feature removals throughout the years. One change the team adapted was the hitch design. The original design had link arms welded to the hitch. The hitch was redesigned to enable removing the link arms to ease necessary repairs.
Schmucker said, “We wanted to make this product a serviceable part for our customers.”
Another change was installing a fitting called a grease zerk onto the hitch. The zerk provided a space for grease to be injected into the hitch for lubrication.
“In the towing world, equipment will naturally get overused and abused in the field from time to time,” Schmucker said. “We strive to make our hitches last through those times and this grease zerk was designed to help improve the longevity of the hitch itself.”
Schmucker said each Gen-Y product line has been revamped according to consumer feedback. The Gooseneck SnapLatch Coupler was an upgrade recently implemented into the supplier’s Executive fifth wheel pin box replacement.
She said, “I think sometimes people are shocked that we actually listen to them.”
As Gen-Y receives feedback, the supplier refines and adapts products to match consumer wishes.
