Customer Feedback—Criticism or Goldmine?
Welcome to the Why to Wow newsletter which is all about inspiring the hearts and minds of people worldwide with the Power of Differentiation. In the Why to Wow newsletter, I share my experiences over the last 40+ years helping leaders differentiate their brands and products. I hope it will inspire you to discover and share your own brand’s uniqueness with the world.
When my firm interviews customers to learn what makes our clients unique, we sometimes hear less than flattering responses. I’ll share the top insights we’ve gathered from thousands of these interviews.
Not all comments are equal. Is there a customer out there that actually wants to be charged more? I am confident there are very few. So, when a customer says your pricing is too high, take it with a grain of salt (or whatever is your preferred seasoning). Now, if a customer feels you should spend more time with them instead of trying to expand your services in other regions of the country, that is of value, because they are telling you they want more…of you. I interviewed a customer who criticized our client for not realizing their product was superior to a higher-priced competitor. While their customer thought it was rather funny, it was a clear signal that they were undervaluing (and underpricing) their product.
Difference-maker: If your customers complain about your high prices, they are not really complaining about your pricing. They may be trying to negotiate or telling you that you’re falling short elsewhere. And, if they are telling you your value is greater than you think it is, listen up.
A phenomenal source of input is former customers. A few of our bravest clients have given us access to their list of ex-customers. It sounds crazy to solicit opinions from people no longer paying for your product, but it isn’t. Once, when talking to a past customer, we learned they truly valued the brand and its products but had gone for a year without hearing from our client’s sales team and decided to move on. After being permitted to share that with our client, the two companies rekindled their relationship.
Difference-maker: It can’t hurt to listen to those who have left you; they may be ready to move on from the breakup and start dating again.
We’ve spoken to dealers and customers about our clients’ new product launches. The stories we’ve heard are incredible and quite creative. One client was launching an electric vehicle—the first in their history. It was a momentous feat. The brand (our client) was leery of releasing too much information on the product because they were worried that too many specifications would change as they were finalizing the product. Well, that didn’t stop the dealers from creating their version of the facts as they talked to inquiring customers. Some told customers the vehicle had a 50-mile range, others said it was 300 miles. When asked about the safety of the product, one dealer remarked, “It’s probably safe, but remember if the battery blows up, you’re sitting on top of it.” The launch proceeded but fell short of its potential as prospective customers either left the dealership to buy elsewhere or were disappointed when the real product arrived at the dealership and didn’t live up to the dealer’s description.
Difference-maker: Be transparent about what you know and, more importantly, what you don’t know. In this case, if the brand had shared that the range for the vehicle was somewhere between 125 and 200 miles, it would have saved a lot of anguish.
It’s all too easy to send a survey and ask for customer feedback, offering them a 1-4 scale. My “2” may be your “3” and so on. Be willing to go to the extra effort and get real feedback by asking for people’s opinions—in their words. Trust me, it’s a hassle sorting through all of that information, but the magic is in there. For example, if a client gives you a score of “9 out of 10,” that statistically means they recommend you to others. But have they ever done that? Why not ask what specifically your company does that customers don’t (yes, I said “don’t”) want you to change? That answer is incredibly valuable, but it doesn’t fit into a 1-4 or 1-10 scale.
Difference-maker: Read between the lines (or the numbers). We are (still) humans. The answers and the words we use are valuable. Ask, then listen.