In the Certified ScrumMaster course, Jeff Sutherland said something that keeps running through my mind. The Agile principle is based on quick feedback cycles and quality of code (xP). A story is not finished until after a 'proxy customer' check. A 'mini acceptance' of the analist representing the customer, if you will. Later on, maybe after the sprint, the story is tested again in some form of integration environment.
To get that feedback in different phases early, he told us to treat the the proxy customers as fat boyscouts. If someone during a boyscout hiking trip can't keep up, it slows down the whole group. You should therefore walk beside them to motivate them. If they still can't follow, you take their backpack. If it's still going too fast, put them in front of the whole group. Make them determine the paste.
I think he's right. We should aid and guide our testers as much as we can. If during the daily scrum stand-up, you hear that someone is blocked from testing, this should deserve your immediate attention.
