Clients have always had a voice, but now it is louder than ever. Terrific businesses want to hear from their clients. They want their opinions, opinions and anything else that will give them an edge. And, terrific companies do not wait to hear from their clients. They knowingly solicit feedback in the form of polls and have programs in place to make sure they deliver an experience which makes their clients want to return.
Recently was asked about businesses that have reaped rewards from surveying their customers and quantifying their customer services. A few excellent examples came to mind. Ace Hardware is among the best examples of a company that uses polls and measurement to remain successful. A network of independently owned shops, they are known for their helpful customer support.
To ensure they are meeting their customers’ expectations, they engage in a mystery shopping program in which a high score will certify them as Ace Helpful. Their aim is to be the most useful hardware shops on Earth, and there is a direct correlation between a high score and a successful shop. They go up against big box stores such as Home Depot and Lowes
From a credit card firm with typical complaints and customer dissatisfaction, they began using a brief survey question that measures their member satisfaction at the end of a telephone. It is the well-known Net Promoter Score question. The call centre employees’ bonuses are based on their scores. The executive and management bonuses are also tied into the score.
This is one of the most important metrics. It is not how fast they undergo the call. It is how well they take care of the client. They are now recognized as a leading customer in tellaldi.us, worldwide, in any business. Enterprise rent a car is another terrific example. They also use an NPS type of survey. Over time they became the number one car rental company in the world not only in size, but also customer satisfaction.
They obtained Alamo and National Rental car, which at the time of the purchase have been in the bottom half of the top ten client service businesses in the auto rental industry. Infusing the Enterprise culture of customer service and using polls to confirm exactly what was working and what was not, they transferred Alamo and National to being top performers.
Companies that monitor and measure their customer service have a competitive advantage. They know when they are doing an excellent job, and more importantly, they know when they are not. They make the most of data, good and bad, searching for chances to take their clients’ experiences to the maximum level possible. The reward for this effort is much more business from existing clients and new business from the fantastic reputation they produce in their market.
