Why customers won’t tell you if your bum looks big
Ever asked someone that likes you if you’ve got a bit podgy? Maybe wondering if you’ve had a few too many ice creams to fit into those jeans?
They probably won’t tell you the truth.
It’s because they like you.
And it’s the same in business. It’s hard to tell someone the unvarnished truth. Even if you really, really want to know. It’s the same with customer satisfaction surveys. The friendlier you are with customers, the harder it is to find out the truth about your business. Customers try and be nice.
Most firms run some sort of email based customer satisfaction survey. Usually with 10% or less response rates. And those that do respond are the usual suspects… the clients that always moan or your best mate – who always says something ‘nice’. And they ask the wrong questions.
Capturing the truth is hard.
The key question to ask is ‘when was the last time you changed something based on the survey results’. If the answer is not in the last 12 months, or worse… you are wasting your time.
But getting that feedback is really important:
What you do well.
What you need to fix.
Where the opportunities are.
Measuring the value that your customers get from your firm.
We do it for clients through independent structured telephone interviews. Every single project we have delivered to date has delivered a hard ROI. Every single project presented the absolute, unvarnished, unbiased, inarguable truth.
Opinions are interesting, but it is only the truth that will drive change.
What difference would it make if you knew the truth about your business?
