October 23, 2011
Someone on the Internet is wrong!
Yes, that was a shock to me too.
Someone was arguing that innovation doesn’t come from asking customers what they want. Well sometimes yes, sometimes no. But would you say that we have too many companies taking account of what their customers say or too few? Last time you gave your feedback, or an opinion to a company, did they act on it? How did you feel about that?
As a customer, I’m happy to be asked because if I’m not satisfied it means the company is (a) showing they are concerned and (b) making it easy for me to get the situation recitified. I don’t feel pestered if they ask at an appropriate time and in an appropriate way. I don’t have to reply. And if the request is short and to the point I will appreciate being asked.
If I am satisfied, then you are missing an opportunity to sell more to me when I am in the best frame of mind to buy from you or to recommend you to someone else. (Though this should not be done cynically).
However there are several things I have learnt:
1. Don’t ask for feedback, unless…
Do not ask whether a customer is satisfied unless you are prepared to act (immediately) on any feedback you receive. Otherwise you are raising the customer’s expectations, only to disappoint.
2. Annual satisfaction surveys are bad.
An annual satisfaction survey is at best a waste of time, and more often destructive.
Think of the last one you filled in. (If you ever have…). I bet the timing was irrelevant (that is, you’d rather they had shown as much interest when you were trying to get a problem solved). And I bet it was too long. Far too long.
I remember taking on a role and asking for the annual survey results only to read hundred upon hundred of cries for help from (now departed) customers. Not one customer had received a response, let alone a resolution, to their comments. I fear (in fact I know) that is true in the majority of cases.
3. Timely (and short, fast) satisfaction surveys are good.
By which we mean ‘good for customers, and great for business’, of course.
If you do run a satisfaction survey, you know the rules. Ask only about things that are important to customers and ask only at a relevant time. Do not ask how they heard about you, which newspaper they read, how many dogs they have……Those things may be interesting to you, and there may be a time and place to ask for them, but supposing your customer is, on that occasion, not satisfied. How will they feel about answering questions that help you with your marketing and focusing on your concerns rather than theirs? Keep your questions short and relevant.
4. Satisfied or delighted?
Someone once told me “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly”. If having every customer satisfied, consistently, falls short of having every customer delighted, I shall content myself that I am nevertheless in the top 1% of companies. And I don’t anticipate too many complaints from customers on that score.
As customers, we know that the vast majority of companies do not act on the feedback they receive, so there is a relatively easy prize for those who do. Yes, it would be nice to be delighted and to be wowed and for innovation to amaze us from every single vendor. But most of us, most of the time, would just be happy to get the service we expect, rather than the disappointment and frustration that has sadly become our everyday experience.
5. Give your people the chance to shine.
Perhaps most importantly of all, I have witnessed the amazing power of showing customers’ comments to staff. The ability, energy and enthusiasm of your people to fix customers’ problems and to learn what pleases them should not be underestimated – but they do need to know what the comments are so make sure you have an effective system for communicating your customers’ words back to your people. All the more so if those words are compliments.
I brought CustomerSure to market because it’s software that helps implement the lessons I’ve learnt, which I earnestly hope is good news for customers everywhere (and therefore great news for the businesses who use it).
HEllo Guy
Excellent post: gets to the heart of the matter concisely. For me the key is to use the process to leave the customer feeling that you care about him/her because he/she sees what you have done with his/her feedback. And to put the employees in the shoes of the customers by exposing them to the thoughts/feelings of the customers. Then asking these employees to come up with the course/s of action to address the issues raised by custoemrs. And in that respects positive feedback is just as important as negative feedback.
Maz
Thanks for commenting, Maz, I know your experience of the people factors is considerable.
Guy,
I think you miss the point about annual customer surveys
They are done annually because they are in peoples objectives (annual)
Meeting objectives for customer service drives bonus payments
Clearly if consumers don’t fill them in then it is becuase they have nothing to complain about, this has nothing to do with the length of the survey, or the recency of the transaction.
Hence results always look “better than was expected”
Therefore annual customer surveys are a good thing as they drive a feeling of internal satisfaction and bonus payments.
Obvious really
James
That’s a good point, James. I’m guessing it’s based on observation rather than conjecture too!
Hi Guy,
Unfortunately I think James and you are both right about annual surveys. They’re both bad for the customer but driven but internal needs. It’s a bit like making a cake by throwing all of the ingredients together haphazardly, in the wrong amounts and at the wrong time. To make something worthwhile we have to think about the what, the why, the how, the who, the where and the when if we are to give ourselves a chance of getting it right.
Adrian
Adrian, I’m sure you’re right. Your point about thoughtfulness raises the issue of why we do surveys at all…are they always bad…or good? I reckon there are just two objectives for a business to do a satisfaction survey:
1. To ensure that the customer is sufficiently happy with their experience to willingly give us their continued custom.
2. To ensure the customer is sufficiently confident in us that they will risk their personal reputation by recommending us to others.
Hi Guy: what a great post! I can see some good ideas here!
I 100% AGREE that annual surveys are not only a waste of time, but I would go as far as saying they’re destructive!
80% of ‘satisfied’ customers will leave a business, and 67% of those will say the main reason is ‘perceived indifference’.
I bet an ‘annual request for information’ wouldn’t be seen as in any way ‘acceptable’ as a way of selling … yet, that’s what customer service is … it’s SELLING!!!! And that’s why people often do it so badly … they don’t know this.
Please will the penny drop soon …