All of these linctuses (or should that be linctii?), expectorants, decongestants and wot nots are completely useless and do not work. They have been scientifically trialled (as is required by the process) against placebos and they have no measurable positive impact
So what? You may say. Well, yes, so what? They don't work, but the customer wants them all the same. Is that wrong? Can we blame "Buttercup Syrup" for satisfying a clear customer need, even though it is based on pure misconception? It's not like it's that expensive, yes so what? If Marlboro are allowed to manufacture and sell a product that has been proven to kill, what's the problem with cough medicine?
It is indeed a "quality" conundrum, but it does demonstrate a point that in some cases neither conformity nor effectiveness are necessarily the be all and end all. It's all about the customer and, we've said it before, he ain't always right, but he sure is king
It seems in this case the customer wants a little bit of mental comfort, or a feeling that they can do something positive about this damned cough (which they usually can't)
