Where is the voice of the customer in your corporate decisions?

 

This week, corporates and most business owners are going the extra mile to appreciate their customers and staff as the world celebrates customer service week. Customers have been treated to goodies and heartwarming messages of how companies are grateful that they are their customers. What a wonderful time to be a customer!

However, as I reflected on the celebrations that happen annually in the first week of October, I went back to check the origin of Customer Service Week, and why corporates and businesses would only choose one week out of a whole year, to celebrate their customers. According to the official site for National Customer Service Week, CS Week was established by the International Customer Service Association in 1984 and proclaimed a national event by the U.S. Congress in 1992. The two main objectives of the week are to recognize the work customer service professionals do throughout the year and to inform their customers, industry, and partners about the importance of customer service in running their business. How many organizations, as they celebrate this week, considered the first objective, and celebrated their customer service staff even as they appreciated the customers? Secondly, which organizations have demonstrated with evidence, that customer service is at the center of running their business? The theme of this year’s customer service week is sustaining customer inclusion and therefore, I will focus on the second objective.

Companies that want to deliver customer satisfaction must demonstrate, with evidence, that they value customer service. This can only be achieved by working on closing the Customer Feedback Loop (i.e., the process of engaging with customers and responding to their feedback regarding their experiences with your product, services, and brand) and keeping a close eye on the changing needs of customers. When we develop customer service strategies without checking the pulse of all customer touchpoints and feedback, we fail to deliver actions that respond to customer preferences. 

To be in touch with reality, also known as ‘vitu kwa ground’, we must learn to incorporate the voice of the customer in business decisions to understand the solutions they expect, impact customer retention, and ultimately business growth. Voice of the Customer (VoC) is simply a fact-finding strategy that shares what customers think or feel about the business, products, or services. Some examples include customer surveys, social media feedback, product reviews, and word-of-mouth feedback.

Companies must not only pay attention to this voice but also reserve a seat for the customer in the boardroom while drafting policies, suggesting changes in processes, developing products, hiring new staff, and making decisions. 

Today, companies interact with their customers on multiple levels, both online and offline, and each interaction gives the company an opportunity to discover customer needs and preferences and incorporate feedback into service. It is the action of quickly incorporating the customer’s truth in your business decisions that will mitigate negative reviews and improve the experience. Walk the journey with the voice of the customer at HEART.

Carolyne Nekesa ǀ AGM – Head of Marketing ǀ Minet Kenya