Down the Black Hole of Customer Feedback

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

How many times have you, as a customer, been on a service call or in a store, had a frustrating experience, and told the representative you were dealing with something along the lines of “the company ought to do something about that” or “this policy should be changed”? If you’re like most people, it has probably happened more than a few times. Our own companies are likely not strangers to remarks like these, either. We’ve previously discussed actively seeking out customer feedback, but what about unsolicited customer feedback? Should we be doing anything with it?

As customer service agents, it can be easy to slip into a hyper-focus on problem resolution and customer assistance, but we are also a valuable resource in large problem prevention. Due to the nature of our jobs and the frequency of our contact with customers, it is highly likely that our customers are giving us critical feedback for the company in general. But where is that customer feedback presently going? In most companies, it is presently going nowhere.

Imagine if this data instead began to be documented, collected, and analyzed. It would create more nimble companies; ones that are quicker to pick up on trends in customer dissatisfaction and react accordingly (before it reaches a dull roar that can no longer be ignored). It would enable us to capitalize on the “hive mind” of our customer base by utilizing their great new ideas (our customers are, after all, our best consultants). It would create companies that are viewed as more responsive and connected to their customers because they are more responsive and connected to their customers.

Rather than skipping over customer feedback that isn’t submitted in written format, let’s start to take note of what our customers are telling us about our companies so that we can come closer to being exactly the companies they want us to be. Who knows more about what our customers want than our customers themselves? Let’s truly listen to them.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]