I think the best coaches help business owners assess what customers are thinking. There are objective and subjective ways to do that. Someone once said, “It isn’t what you don’t know that hurts you, it’s what you ‘know’ that isn’t true.” [Versions of this quote have been attributed to a variety of smart people.] We find that some business owners believe certain things about their customers, but they have a distorted view because they haven’t provided a safe environment for their customers to say what they really think.
Let’s say I go to a customer and ask, “Are you satisfied with our service?” and their answer is “yes.” I think a lot of business owners take people at their word, but a better question to ask in that moment is, “If you wanted our company to be the absolute best vendor for you, what advice would you give me to become that?” Or I might say, “Let’s take a few moments and think about creative ways to serve you. Here’s what I’m currently focused on; am I on the right track? How would you tweak that approach?”
Another thing I believe in is anonymous surveys. We do that for our company, asking questions like, “On a scale from 1-10, would you recommend us?” I think those types of well-thought-out, benchmarkable questions will serve you well.
Then you take action. I think everyone understands that you can’t do everything. But if you aren’t going to do something with the answer you get, don’t ask. Because there’s nothing more disappointing to people than when you ask for their opinion and then you ignore them.
Client satisfaction is one of 4 areas that business owners should focus on. Read about the other three.
–Jim Wiginton is the founder and managing partner of Broad Insights, an international business coaching firm based in Greenville, South Carolina. Jim possesses a wealth of business expertise, much of it gained as an executive for Michelin North America, Plastic Omnium, and Alfmeier Corporation. He has more than 5,000 hours of coaching experience, and a Doctorate of Business Administration from Paris School of Business.
by Bradley C