When was the last time you sat down and talked to your customers? Moreover, when was the last time you truly listened to them? There are a variety of ways to listen to your customer to understand their expectations and uncover new opportunities to serve them better. Here are four simple things you can do within the next week that can help you get started.
1. Ask for immediate feedback.
Online or in-person, you’re probably in front of your customers every single day. It seems like every time I’m on my bank’s website, or after I complete a customer service transaction with just about any company, they always ask me one or two quick questions. Restaurants often do this by sending a manager around to check on the guests and ask them about their experience. There are dozens of online tools for the web version, but the free and easy version of just asking folks face-to-face is often the most effective.
2. Ask your team.
Maybe your business is decentralized and spread out over multiple locations, or maybe your role is more administrative and strategic vs. hands-on. If that is the case, your teams—sales, service, etc.—can be an invaluable resource for gathering customer feedback. Empower them to spend time talking—and listening to—your customers with a goal of finding ways to improve the brand experience. And then recognize and reward them publicly when they share ideas that get implemented.
3. Check Facebook and Twitter.
The overwhelming majority of businesses use social media—incorrectly—as a one-way communication tool to market to their customers and to promote their brands. Social media makes listening to your customers easier than it’s ever been. Companies like JetBlue, Starbucks and Whole Foods are great online listeners. They not only engage with their customers, but they respond in a meaningful and helpful way when there are ideas, issues and complaints.
4. Launch an online survey.
Another quick, easy and inexpensive way to get some valuable customer feedback is by utilizing a tool like SurveyMonkey, SurveyGizmo or GetFeedback. You can put together quick surveys to inquire about your customer’s general experience or get more specific about a certain aspect of your business. Then you can send it out through an email or on Facebook. Offer an incentive (i.e., chance to win a $50 gift card) and watch your response rate go up 20% or more.
For most businesses, if you’re doing any one of these, you’re ahead of the curve. While the focus here is on brand and customer experience improvements, there are countless other benefits of truly listening to your customer. The key is to use the information to take action to improve your brand and your business. If you’re setting goals for the year, this is the one to focus on and keep.
Too busy to do this yourself? I can help you build, launch and analyze a survey that will change how you look at your business through the lens of your customer. Contact me here to learn more.