Workforce Management Featured Article
Harnessing Customer Feedback for Workforce Improvement
Most companies understand the importance of a positive customer experience. It brings more business, return customers, word-of-mouth referrals and expanded revenue sources. A poor customer experience is a pricey mistake: a study by PwC found one-third of customers say they won’t return to a company after a bad experience.
A top-notch customer journey is a difficult concept to master, because a great customer experience is made up of so many different elements. So how do you know where to start?
Most analysts say listening to customer feedback is the most critical element of improving the customer experience. Customers know what their interactions with you are like…and they’re probably telling you. In a recent article for Inc. magazine, Joel Comm noted companies need to listen to their customers through multiple channels, not just one.
“Many companies will measure their customer service efforts through feedback mechanisms like surveys or customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores,” wrote Comm. “That's fine, but surveys and CSATs only give you a moment-in-time snapshot of how a customer feels. They don't provide you with the in-depth information you can use to make improvements.”
The goal of gathering customer intelligence, of course, is to turn it into actionable intelligence that can be used to fix areas needing improvement. Comm recommends a mixture of offline and online methods, such as conducting traditional focus groups and investing in a quality assurance software program that manages scorecards.
Another excellent method of gathering customer feedback includes social listening, or observing what customers are saying about your organization through social media. While it’s true unhappy customers tend to be more vocal on social media than happy ones, it helps you identify where you’re going wrong.
“Social media has become a huge part of everyone's world. Consequently, people love to take their rants online,” wrote Comm. “This allows you to tap into their biggest beefs, but only if you're paying attention. Don't worry: You don't have to spend a lot of time to get big returns. Setting up a full-blown social listening campaign using a software tool can make the process effortless. At the same time, you'll get deeper insights.”
Edited by Luke Bellos
