Historically the focus for market researchers carrying out customer surveys has primarily been to generate data that can be analysed at a later date. This is usually where the market researcher’s role stops. There is no onus on the market researcher to carry out any analysis of the data, nor advise or discuss with their employer the actions that need to be taken based on the customer insight gathered.
I am questioning the concept that customer feedback always falls on the shoulders of the market researcher? Whose role it is to review customer feedback, draw conclusions from insights and start the ball rolling on the necessary changes that are required in order to enhance customer experiences, improve customer satisfaction and positively impact the bottom line? I think firstly organisations need to be dedicated to making changes based on customer feedback. They need an internal team who are leading this from the inside along with a CEO who believes in creating a customer centric organisation. Surely that is, after all why organisations pay for the research to be done in the first place?
I don’t believe this remit should be confined to one person. Improving customer satisfaction and ensuring brand loyalty should feed into every part of a business and every person’s role rather than just the market researcher or the marketer’s role.
The introduction of Enterprise Feedback Management technology changes all of this. It offers real-time responsiveness and access for all parts of the business to customer feedback data, driving the importance of customer feedback through the entire organisation, through all roles. This gives staff the power to make the necessary changes within the business to satisfy their customers’ expectations, affording all employees something to buy in to -making for a positive, customer-centric culture – one that enhances customer retention and customer acquisition.
