Customer Feedback is a Gift.

A lot of companies are afraid to talk to their customers.  They fear criticism and negative comments.   They even go so far as to consider their feedback as a complaint.  Customer input should not be avoided. It should be welcomed as an opportunity to learn how to make your organization more successful.

If I had spinach in my teeth and I am talking to you face to face, I would want you to tell me that there is spinach stuck there.  Customer input is an opportunity to find out the places where the spinach is stuck in your company’s teeth.  In fact, the Rockefeller Habits that help you bridge of the strategy to execution gap recommend that your executives and middle managers have a 4Q conversation, in person, with at least one customer a week to find the “spinach”.

The four questions are:

1. How are you doing?
2. What’s going on in your industry?
3. What do you hear about our competitors?
4. How are we doing?

Notice that the initial focus is on the customer not you.  Customer feedback is but one important element for shaping your priorities, your product roadmap, your process improvements and your sales channel amongst others.  Don’t, however, fall into the trap of thinking that you have to do everything every customer wants you to do. Use the feedback wisely.  Take in industry and market trends, your core purpose, core values and brand promise as additional important elements to inform your decisions.

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