Listen to your customers whether they are right or not

The phrase “the customer is always right” is generally credited to Harry Gordon Selfridge, the department store magnate of the early 20^th century. It has been a guiding principle for many businesses for the last 100 years, but while many still pay homage to the motto, they do not do so blindly.

As early as 1914, there was debate about the maxim and caution around applying it without diligence. The fact is, customers can be as flawed as anyone, so while their ideas should not automatically be adopted, they should definitely be heard.

Give the people a voice

Government bodies are good at lending a listening ear. From local governments to major agencies, the very nature of these organizations recognizes that their constituents need to have a voice in how they operate. From public forums to inviting formal submissions, these groups take on a considerable amount of feedback whenever they are looking at major changes or projects.

It is more than most businesses could hope to capture or process, but those entities are set up to function this way. While the scope is daunting, the intent is clear: they give the people they serve a voice.

In the same vein, businesses need to establish robust processes for consulting customers and clients, capturing meaningful feedback and suggestions. There need to be avenues for those who support your company to speak about how those products or services are received. Consider the ways your customers can be heard right now: How much of what they have to say is captured meaningfully and what tools have you provided to allow for that conversation?

You may have to dig for gold

Of course, the customer is not always right. It can take upward of 20 tons of rock for a mine to produce an ounce of gold, and while that ratio is probably much lower than the number of good ideas your customers might produce, you need to recognize that not every suggestion is actionable.

While the first step is to provide avenues for feedback, there then needs to be careful thought given to how the captured customer voice is considered and what action, if any, gets taken as a result. This is where good processes will shine.

Customer feedback needs to be weighed and measured. Who is the right person or group to evaluate the feedback, and redirect it to the most helpful place? Some suggestions will need to be rejected, for whatever reason. Some might need to be shelved for a later date. Some will be valuable inputs for immediate action.

Organizations can use their business values and strategic goals to guide this triaging process, with each idea carefully evaluated. Does this point to innovation? Is it about process improvement? Can this be successfully scaled? What tools or technologies can be leveraged to meet this expectation?

Those involved with evaluating feedback need to be willing to scratch beneath the surface, too. While customers may identify outcomes they want to see, your teams need to look at the means of achieving them. What processes does this idea touch on? Where are the strengths and weaknesses of your existing systems and what about this idea could point you toward better outcomes for everyone?

Clarify and cooperate

Not all of these questions can be answered from a single survey or roundtable event. This is where you have an opportunity to work with your customers. Explore their ideas alongside them. Seek more details and validate your conclusions with the people that inspired them.

If customers express frustration at long delivery times, explain the changes you are considering to order handling and dispatch processes and the expected difference it will make. Then ask: “Is that what you wanted?” The symptoms that customers identify may not always be the root of the problem, so think creatively and look beneath the surface.

Most importantly, keep the lines of communication open. As customers are invited to be involved in the continuous improvement journey, they will have a greater sense of investment in the outcomes, which will build brand loyalty and enthusiasm.

The customer is not always right, but that does not mean they deserve to be ignored. Create processes that help your organization to listen well and act on what you hear. By creating avenues for your customers to have a voice, you can accelerate your process improvement and build on innovations from within and without, creating better outcomes for everyone.

Is your organization focused on receiving and managing customer feedback? Let us know in the comments below.