used with permission from the HP solutions Site
Customer Feedback
Want to respond to your customers' needs instantly? Learn more about becoming an Instant-On Enterprise Out of frustration, a team of gardeners wanted to fence a flowerbed after visitors repeatedly cut through it. But one visionary saw things differently and had a path installed instead. After all, it wasn't just any destination—it was Disneyland. Founder Walter "Walt" Disney understood that guests knew where they wanted to go, and it was the staff's job to give them what they wanted. Just like those guests, customers—both in business and the public sector—seek the easiest path. If you don't help your customers get there, your competitor will. Unfortunately, many organizations are losing supporters by ignoring customer feedback on a daily basis without realizing why.
High Tech vs. High Touch
Technology can be one of your greatest assets—as long as it's used appropriately. Technology usage is the most critical differentiator. Leaders must determine when it's best to make automation obvious to the end user. By focusing too heavily on what technology can do, many organizations ignore what their customers and citizens need it to do.
This over-reliance on technology makes it easy to overlook the ones who are ultimately keeping you in business. You find evidence of that by the trails your customers leave:
- Are they spending less than a minute on your automated phone line?
- Are users abandoning your website after a few clicks?
- Is your organization getting service complaints through social media?
Fan Or Foe Factor
Did you answer "yes" to any of the above questions? Chances are, your customers couldn't find what they needed quickly enough. Aggravated clients may have turned elsewhere. If so, you need to find out why. Customers know what they want; your job is to figure out how to deliver it the way they want it.
Beyond watching how customers and citizens respond with their dollars and support, the Internet provides numerous options for listening. After all, it's important to know what's being said about your enterprise externally. Here are a few suggestions:
- Monitor social media networks like Facebook and Twitter to get insight into popular buzz about your organization.
- Use opinion blogs as another great source of information.
- Seek out third-party research to determine what your clients really want.
Real-Time Response—With a Human Touch
As technology continues evolving, so do your customers and citizens. That means the way you respond to them cannot remain static. Again, enterprises have an opportunity to differentiate themselves by returning to customer service. A strategic combination of human touch and technology will make significant differences to the bottom line.
Consider whether your users feel abandoned by technology or enabled by it. Your priority should be returning the right amount of human touch back into the user experience. Finding that "sweet spot" of emotional connection can result in a heartfelt "thank you" posted on social networking sites. Ignoring it might push unhappy clients to share their negative experiences—influencing future clients.
Of course, offering a human touch can be more costly if it requires hiring staff members instead of relying so heavily on technology. However, the question remains—are you willing to pay a bigger price by ignoring customer needs?
About Ed Reynolds
Ed Reynolds is an HP Fellow in Enterprise Services, and he also contributes to The Next Big Thing blog.
