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Do You Trust Your Customers?
How to make sure your customers really are happy.
If you’re like a majority of business owners, you probably think your customer service is “superior” – in fact, 80% of the companies surveyed by Help Scout fell into this assumption. But on the flip side – only 8% of those who patronized those very same businesses agreed. So, what accounts for this extreme discrepancy?
In general, far too many businesses overlook the importance of garnering quality customer feedback. They might rely on passive methods such as social media, or customer-initiated criticism. The fact of the matter is, unless things go catastrophically wrong, dissatisfied customers tend to quietly go about their way, deciding never to patronize that place again.
While it might seem overwhelming at a glance, once you grasp the basics, collecting reliable customer feedback isn’t as complicated as it might seem.
4 ways of collecting accurate customer feedback
Gathering information about your customers’ experience is really just another way of measuring the effectiveness of your business strategy. The key is knowing both what to measure, and how to take those measurements.
- Net Promoter Scores (NPS). NPSs are based on one simple question: how likely are you to recommend (a product or service) to a friend or co-worker? Customers answer on a scale of 1-10. Customers who rate companies in the 9-10 range are, on average, three to eight times more likely to be lifelong patrons.
- Don’t be shy. In some respect, collecting customer feedback is a numbers game – the more often you ask, the more responses you’re going to collect. Whether it be directing them to an online survey at the point of sale, or following up with a post-purchase email, inquire into what your customers liked, didn’t like, what they’d change, etc.. Not only will this grant you keen insights into your business, it lets your customers know you care about them beyond the sale.
- Create user groups. Some products inspire a world of their own online – these are prime environments for monitoring how your customers are responding to your product. Providing a company hosted forum can help your customers communicate with each other, while allowing your staff experts to step in to clarify any issues.
- Respond to negative feedback. Your toughest critics are your most valuable assets. The angrier, the better – a frustrated customer is ready, willing, and eager to tell you every gory detail about how your company failed them. Responding to customers who’ve had a bad experience gives your staff the opportunity to ask further questions that, in turn, will allow you to gauge if it’s the product, service, or both that let them down.
Your staff matters
Chances are, as a consumer, you’ve had the experience dealing with company reps who truly cared, and those who were simply waiting to clock out for the day. Staffing your team with good listeners who sincerely want to make your customers happy makes a difference in how customer feedback is processed, and responded to.
AHA! Business Consulting provides companies with the tools they need for successful hiring and for growing their business. For more help on building an amazing customer experience, download our free ebook or connect with us today for more information on how we can help take your business to the next level.