8 Ways to Get Close to Your Customers
Want to add more value to your customers? Be sure you know what to add..
Here are eight proven ways to get close to your
customers and find out what they value, what they care about, what they
really want:
1. Ask them! Whether in print, in person or over the phone, nothing
beats asking customers exactly what they want, and how they want it. (Ask
them what they don’t want, too!) Use printed sheets, mail-back forms,
comment
cards, telephone scripts and more.
2. Conduct focus groups. Bring a group of customers together for an
open-ended chat session. Set them at ease and get them talking about what
they really like, don’t like and wish they could get from your business.
Don’t
defend, justify or argue. Just ask questions and take good notes. Follow up
with a sincere and generous ‘Thank
you!’
3. Study complaints and compliments. Every message from a customer
brings value to your doorstep. Compliments show you what to reinforce.
Complaints point to new ideas and action steps for improvement.
4. Set up a customer hotline. Some customers will tell you what they
think, but they want an ‘anonymous’ way to do it. Fine! Set up a special
voice recording ‘hotline’ for customers only. And don’t worry about
receiving any
strange messages; just sort through them for the gems!
5. Hire a Mystery Shopper. Have someone you trust mingle with your
customers and strike up conversation to find
out what they do and do not like.
6. Become a customer of your best competitors. Use all their products
and services, and compare them to your own. Ask their Customer Service
Center to describe all the services available in detail. Then copy the best
and do
better than the rest.
7. Visit your customer’s site. Go to your customer’s physical
location to see exactly how they put your products and services to use. See
with your own eyes what works and what doesn’t, what gets used all the time
and what gets left behind.
8. Go online to seek more feedback. Find an Internet user’s group
related to your industry or topic. Read the postings for new ideas and
information. Participate in the discussions. Follow up by e-mail to gain
even deeper
input and understanding.
What is your favorite technique for getting close to the customer?
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