A Starting Point for Growth
Are you looking for more growth in your business? One of the most reliable ways to grow your business is to significantly improve customer service. The toughest question for most businesses is how to get started on a significant change.
Over the last six years, I have been helping companies listen to and create growth by listening to the voice of the customer. It is the best place to start if you are an established business looking to align your entire organization. Why? Because customers can tell you about the past, present and potential for the future. They are willing to share their thoughts and opinions, and you will be amazed at the information you receive. It gives you the right starting point for a customer experience culture change.
Getting the Right Help
As with most projects, you can do your own research, and figure out how to do it on your own. However, you will most likely discover it is too much to add to existing staff responsibilities. If you decide to get outside help, be sure to get an experienced organization to help.
Don’t be sold based on a promise. Ask prospective providers for a roadmap of where you will end up. You need to be clear on whether you want to crawl, walk or run with the project and what the measurable results will be.
Don’t Over Commit
This is something I am starting to see frequently. Companies are biting off more than they can chew. The Customer Experience concept is amazing. Flow charts, graphs and snappy visuals can make it seem so easy. Some businesses that have the resources may be able to execute on the entire vision. For most companies, that is not the case. You need to prioritize where you want to spend your precious time and resources. And your provider should help you determine this without insisting on you taking on the entire process at once.
To simplify what to do first, second, and third, start with what your customers are telling you. If there is a disconnect between what was promised in the sales process to their actual experience, reconcile that first. If there is a disconnect between your marketing messaging and actual product performance, fix that first. Ask them to rate key components of their experience and it becomes very clear where you should focus.
Now Is the Time
In 2017, we have seen a downward trend in customer experience. The source of this is not clear, but it is a pattern. This means there is an opportunity for you to move the needle in the other direction. By doing so, you will grow revenue, stabilize your customer base, and set your team up for long term success. That will give you the stability to successfully weather economic, political or industry specific challenges.
If you would like to talk about how your organization can listen to the Voice of the Customer to create stability and growth, we would be glad to help.
