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In my last job I had very limited contact with the end user. The main reason for this was that we didn't sell to the end user. If you're buying software you don't bought directly from MS/Adobe/Corel etc (maybe more prevalent now with the Web) - usually you buy from a reseller, bit like going to a bookshop.
We designed/manufactured access control equipment. My main input from the end user was via tech support (all experienced installers) and training (often on-site) and that was more the installation manuals. First line support for the users was provided by the installers. We DID have limited direct access to a few main customers who we dealt with directly and managed to arrange a few site visits to talk to the users but that was it. Fortunately tech support were very good and reported everything that impacted on the documentation and we had a robust QA who didn't release anything until the documentation had also been verified. Still you miss things. One product had been going out with an installation manual with a wiring error in it from long before I started. It was only spotted just before I left. The error was such that it didn't do any damage and when it didn't work the installers thought, "@*&W - it's goes the other way round", swapped the connection round and just never reported it as a fault.
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