Anyone that’s successful in business can tell you that what sets them apart from their competition is excellent customer service. We all know this but the challenge is execution. I recently made a purchase from what I thought was a small, local business only to find out they are the biggest distributor in my state. I thought they were small because someone always answered the phone when I called and my orders were filled and delivered next day. I had no idea how big the company is because I always feel like I was their only customer. Guess what? There are hundreds of stores with similar products, but I will continue to purchase from and be a brand advocate for this particular company because of their stellar customer service.
Part of this company’s success comes from listening to the voice of their customers (VOC). Customers across all industries want value and knowledgeable, caring sales people, and companies that stand behind and service the products they sell. The companies that fall by the wayside are those that talk about listening to their customers rather than acting on the information.
My clients know their customers better than the competition knows their customers. The analysis is applied, the effect measured, re-evaluated and so on. They are driven to delicately balance what their customers want with the company’s profitability. They work to tailor their messaging and products to specific customer needs so they lead in overall customer satisfaction and brand recognition. You have seen it – those that fail to listen to the voice of the customer are quickly forgotten.
Here are some very satisfied customers that were ‘heard’ by the companies they were doing business with:
“For quite some time I’ve been asking for you to stock product xyz and I was so happy to find it in your store last week. Thank you so much!”
“I never think much of taking surveys but it seems that my comments have made their way to the right person because your store hours have changed and are much more convenient for me and my friends.”
“I was thrilled to see that I can schedule my insurance payment through your website instead of having to log in on the day that I want it to be processed. I mentioned that on the website survey the last two times I logged in to pay my bill. Thanks for listening to me!”
“It’s so nice to call up a company and get a live agent that knows what they are talking about. Every time I call your customer service line I get an agent that’s nicer and more knowledgeable than the last time I called. You’re call center is the gold standard!”
Happy Wednesday!
