Listening to Customers

I was talking with an account manager this week who received a fairly negative loyalty survey from one of his customers. 

For background... he was being asked to complete what we call a “follow up” with this customer, and had some questions for me.  Part of his initial (and almost defensive) response was:  “well, I wouldn’t want to just call them…”

Yes, you would!  and, here’s how it might go –

1. Thank your customer for the time they spent providing feedback and acknowledge its importance to you
2. Clarify and try to learn more about the issues that you’ve learned about from the customer’s perspective
3. Let your customer talk uninterrupted.  Really listening will defuse the situation and demonstrate your desire to address their concerns.
4. Talk about your suggested resolution.  This is also a chance for you to educate them on any misunderstandings or miscommunications that may have occurred.
5. Confirm the next steps and the timing for resolving their top concerns.
    

Has anyone else encountered this hesitation?  I'm afraid you are shaking your heads 'yes'!  For those of us who are almost on auto-pilot in terms of understanding how customers drive our businesses, this perspective is something to keep in the back of our minds when crafting our communication and rollout plans.

Krista Roseberry