When was the last time you used your generic spreadsheet program to its maximum capabilities? Do you even know all it can do for you? Many of your clients have the same issues with the software you’re providing. You need to get to know your customers better before you can help them know your product better. You need to determine what they most need to truly benefit from the services you provide.
When was the last time you received an email after you made a product purchase? Did you actually fill it out? No. I didn’t think so. That’s exactly my point.
Get into the minds of your customers, in real time, so they can tell you exactly what they think, when they think it, so you can make sure you deliver – and continue to deliver for a very long time – exactly what will delight, not just satisfy, them.
You need real-time, two-way communication to drive customer satisfaction. But how? Here are a few tips.
Ask for Feedback
Provide easy-to-answer questionnaires embedded in your mobile app or web application to let your user tell you what he thinks about your app, device, or service. You’ll get very valuable in the moment data. During online support, provide a click on this button survey, asking for his one-minute feedback. Add a sticker with a personalized QR code and URL leading to a survey on every hardware package. If you know who the user is, personalize the survey, upload the results into the CRM system, and react or act accordingly. Always give your users an incentive, of course.
Share the Feedback
Post your users’ feedback in your newsletters, on your website, or any other channel you use to get in touch with them. Be sure to point out what you’ve changed or improved based on the information, so they can see their participation gets results.
Make it Fun
If you’re using only 20 percent of an application, it’s easy to drop it and jump to another vendor. It’s incredibly important that your customers use your software or hardware to its full extent. Only then will your accounts be less vulnerable to your competitors.
Embed questionnaires and quizzes within your applications. Use a Did you know….? style. Ask users to take small quizzes about some of the features. Add gamification: give them a score, let them earn badges. Give prizes to people who not only know the most, but also to highly active participants. At the end of each quiz, always ask for one minute of feedback. Track the answers. Not only are you driving loyalty, but also analyzing the scores allows you to measure the user experience and the effort it takes to learn new features.
Be Proactive
For every online interaction, let the customer tell you what he thinks. Did he really get the help he needed? Ask him explicitly. If he’s not happy, give him the chance to click on this button to get in touch with your priority help desk. Don’t just collect the data. Analyze it and make any necessary changes to your customer service process or to reorganize the way the team works.
Train Your Team
Your employees need to know more than your customers. They cannot support your customers unless they understand your products at the deepest levels themselves. Are they there yet? An advanced training program doesn’t necessarily mean that employees all have the required skills. Do you test them on a frequent basis? If not, you should. Define a process to review general and detailed scores and to take actions on individual and group performance. Organize quizzes for all the required subjects. Ask your employees to take them at different levels, from junior to expert. Reward them for their expertise and participation.
Mark Penson is CMO and co-founder of Survey Anyplace
Edited by Maurice Nagle
