"Perfect Knowledge"--The Data Lives! (Part 2)

As I mentioned in previous posts, the client satisfaction data is the blood or the fuel that circulates through the system, firing up activity. (Sorry for the mixed metaphors....) I cannot stress this enough: the data tells you how you are doing, tells you where you need to work, and tells you if you are making any improvement.

Asking To Be Criticized

Getting that data is so important that companies need to ask for feedback often, and thank customers for providing the feedback...especially if it is bad! Most companies will shy away from receiving bad news, acting almost personally hurt if a customer tells them they are not satisfied.

Your customers must understand that part of the service "contract" you have with them is that they will provide you with their "truth" so you can improve it. If you do not get that truth, the whole service process will break down.

We should "invite" criticism. We reward customers who respond to surveys...no matter what they indicate. We celebrate a partner customer who feeds us the fuel for our service engine. Maybe we even award a customer with a certificate the points out a flaw in our process. Companies that desire top-tier service must open the floodgates of client evaluation.

When The Data Is Received

There are several tactical steps that must take place once a client response is collected:

1. Must acknowledge the receipt of the feedback. Since most likely the feedback is via internet or email, a thank you note should be sent immediately. In the message is the reinforcement about the importance of the survey and the next steps that will follow.

2. If the survey result is less than stellar (I used any score less than a 4 or 5 rating on any question on 5 point scale), a followup contact is made with the client. The purpose of the call is to seek more "context" on the score. This detail is carefully documented since it will be used by other teams for future root cause analyses. If the survey result is a "3 rating," this contact will be made by the "relationship or client manager" and the service manager responsible for the type of transaction.

3. Should the response on the survey be a 2 or 1 rating, senior management will attend the call. This is important because it indicates the seriousness to the client and team of the urgency the company has in understanding and resolving the issue.

4. The client manager commits to the customer that a formalized report will be created, with actions outlined, and presented to the client in the near future.

The result of this activity is that some aspect of service did not meet the client expectation, the service provider asked for and received this feedback in realtime, the service team quickly contacted the client for more information, and a commitment was made to present solutions quickly that will prevent a reoccurance.

This process alone will show your client your company is serious about satisfaction. Few, if any, of your competitors are going this far. But your company has just started because you have an asset that no other company possesses...realtime, detailed satisfaction data that you can use to focus everything you do.

Next Post: Perfect Improvement