Customer feedback. How to get it and what to do with it to improve your brand

feedback visualizationThere’s no shortage of ways for mattress manufacturers to solicit feedback from consumers these days. With a click of a mouse or the swipe of a smartphone screen, shoppers can easily register opinions on product quality and service or provide insights on buying experiences and brand preferences. Social media, blogs and quick-response code technologies have expanded dramatically the channels of communication that are available, and more traditional forms of feedback, such as product registration cards, phone surveys and focus groups, remain effective vehicles for providing opinions.

While the ability for the consumer to provide information appears to be greater than ever, are today’s mattress producers seeking out and acting on this input?

“Most manufacturers are still like storks with their heads in the sand when it comes to customer feedback,” says Mike Wittenstein, principal designer at Storyminers, a customer experience and service design consultancy in Atlanta. “They don’t want to look too closely at this information because they are unsure of the results they might get and don’t want to risk their jobs or reputations.”

That can be a huge mistake.

“Consumers vote with their wallets,” says Wittenstein, who has worked with major brands, including McDonald’s, IBM and Air Canada, and shared insights on the bedding industry as a speaker at two recent ISPA events. “If a company comes up short and doesn’t have a system in place to quickly resolve a problem or complaint, shoppers won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere.”

Where to begin

Experts recommend that manufacturers take a proactive approach to handling customer feedback, developing comprehensive programs capable of monitoring, managing and analyzing opinions about products and performance on an ongoing basis. Retail partners have a role to play in this process because they are at the front lines and deal with consumers every day, but manufacturers also need their own mechanisms for fostering communication.

“If the manufacturer is truly going to become a brand, rather than merely a commodity manufacturer at the mercy of the retailer, then it will benefit from having its own relationship with the end user,” says Micah Solomon, a Seattle-based customer service speaker, consultant and author of High-Tech High-Touch Customer Service.

Product registration cards are a logical place for companies to begin collecting information from consumers, Solomon says. He recommends that mattress producers offer an incentive—a “tease for future information or value”—on the cards to encourage purchasers to share data.

“Once this contact is made, these end users can be involved in focus groups, as well as surveying,” Solomon says.

With younger consumers, response rates on card mail-ins are likely to be low. To reach this group, mobile applications or website portals are the way to go.

Website and email surveys offer another opportunity to gather insights from consumers. Some companies take the process a step further, inviting consumers to directly post comments or questions on their websites or social media sites for public review. While that step may be outside your comfort zone, companies at the very least need to offer clearly identified ways for customers to contact them with comments and concerns, whether it’s by phone, email or the Web.

“I recommend a multichannel approach because some people like the phone, while others like the Web or Facebook or Twitter,” says Eric Fraterman, a Toronto-based customer service consultant whose clients include John Deere and Aetna Insurance. “Whichever media you use, you need skilled people who are trained to answer questions and respond to complaints. You also need a way to track those interactions for future analysis and follow-up.”

Traditional methods still work

Because mattresses and other sleep products are a tactile experience, face-to-face focus groups continue to offer a valuable platform for soliciting opinions—perhaps more so than for many other consumer products.

“Watching how prospects react to the perceived features and benefits of various sleep product manufacturers as represented in the showroom is extremely beneficial,” Solomon says.

In-person focus groups can be costly and prone to a group effect that sways opinions in one direction, experts say. They work best in the early stages of research as a way to identify broad trends, particularly in areas such as product design. For a more thorough picture that takes into account a range of issues, companies need to use additional tools, including online surveys, one-on-one interviews and social media.

Focus groups “can be fantastic” for generating insights on products, says Jackie Huba, a customer loyalty expert and author based in Austin, Texas. “But for insights on performance or messaging, this approach is expensive and outmoded.”

Online survey services, such as Zoomerang, KwikSurveys and SurveyMonkey, offer an attractive option for polling consumers. The costs of online polling are relatively inexpensive, which means surveys can be conducted more frequently than would be possible with traditional focus groups. They also reach a larger cross section of buyers. Another plus of online surveys is they can be designed and deployed quickly.

What to ask in an online survey? First, keep the survey relatively short—five to 10 questions at most—because consumers generally have short attention spans. Ask for specifics when you can. Questions requiring text responses provide more information than “yes-no” answers. Keep the survey focused on areas of key concern, whether that’s product styling, quality or service, and provide room for respondents to voice concerns or criticisms.

“What is the one thing you would change or improve about your experience with us or our product?” is a powerful question, Huba suggests. Also worth asking: “How likely are you to recommend our product to a neighbor or friend, on a scale of 1 to 10?”

Social media: A ‘game changer’

According to Huba, the arrival of social media has been a “game changer” when it comes to consumer communication. Huba encourages mattress manufacturers to establish an active digital presence through blogs on their own website and company pages on social sites such as Facebook. Having a company or brand Facebook page is especially useful, Huba says, because it offers consumers an easy way to share opinions and raise questions about products and gives manufacturers a platform for building awareness, community and loyalty. Facebook also offers analytics for measuring customer activity.

“Consumers love to be engaged,” Huba says. “They appreciate access to inside information and enjoy sharing feedback when asked. It makes them feel special and can deepen their commitment to your brand.”
Blogs offer an additional venue for dialogue.

“Throw out some interesting questions and encourage people to comment on your posts,” Huba says. “You’ll be surprised how much useful information you’ll generate.”

Over time, companies can use feedback and other social media to identify “the One Percenters”—“super-engaged customers” who make up about 1% of a company’s customer base, according to Huba’s research.

“It’s a small number but they are very influential when it comes to spreading word-of-mouth and bringing new customers into the fold,” she says.

These consumers provide a natural group for in-depth surveys and they also can contribute to promotional efforts through their own “brand evangelism,” sharing “likes” and posting positive comments to blogs.

“Once they ‘raise their hands’ and identify themselves as an enthusiast, you can deepen their involvement,” Huba says.

She says the car industry provides a good example of how consumer brand loyalty can be nurtured and developed.

“Mini’s whole philosophy is that their current customers are their best salespeople,” she says. “Their ‘Mini Takes the States’ event brings together thousands of owners for a cross-country road rally that provides a great chance for one-on-one conversations about the brand.”

The QR connection

QR codes represent another technology that holds big potential for manufacturers. With these sophisticated barcodes, affixed to surfaces such as product labels, brochures, signage and even ads, consumers can access a wealth of information on manufacturer websites with a simple smartphone scan. This instant, easy-to-access connection provides a perfect opportunity to conduct surveys, Wittenstein says.

“A QR code can take the customer to anything you want to show them online—a video about mattress construction, a side-by-side product comparison or a timely survey,” he says. “You can capture information about that shopper and ask detailed questions about their in-store or sleep experience.”

QR codes also can be valuable tools after the purchase.

“If you have one on the product, it’s always going to be there,” Wittenstein says. “When the mattress is delivered, the installer can encourage the consumer to scan the code to register or fill out a post-sale survey.” Potentially, at the end of the mattress’ life, a recycler could even scan the code to determine the materials it contains.

When QR codes are used in the store, Wittenstein recommends that manufacturers make sure to share their findings with retail partners.

“That’s very important,” he says. “The goal should be to improve the customer experience, so the retailer needs to be involved.”

Along with providing insights into consumer behavior, retail partners also are a vital source of insights into company performance, including product quality, delivery and service issues. While in-store visits by top brass and communications through sales representatives provide manufacturers with much of the information they need to know, occasional surveys of this group also are useful, experts agree.

Putting data to work

To make the most of any data that is collected, mattress manufacturers must have a system in place for analyzing and acting on results. Experts recommend setting up a working group with members from key functional areas within the company, including sales, marketing, production and customer service. The group should meet regularly to review customer feedback and emerging concerns. While CEOs don’t have to be directly involved, they need to be deeply committed to the process—and make sure to communicate why this group’s work is important to each level of the company.

“In reality, only the CEO has the authority to put a cross-functional team together, negotiating with managers to provide internal resources and set measures,” says a new report from United Kingdom-based customer feedback management consultant SynGro, titled “Transformational Customer Experience: The CEO’s Role.” “These measures must reflect a radical and sustainable culture change that delivers the sought-after competitive edge.”

Once the group is up and running, results—both negative and positive—should be shared so teams know what needs to be done to improve, Fraterman says.

“Criticism is meant to be acted on, not hidden, and people should be held accountable to come up with the necessary changes to products and processes,” he says.

Determining when negative opinions constitute a trend that requires action—versus an isolated incident—combines science and intuition. Fraterman suggests that mattress makers look for statistical patterns in which an issue “keeps coming back or repeating,” then conduct more in-depth studies to determine the magnitude of the problem and how it connects to specific company operations. From there, solutions can be developed.

“Sometimes, consumers are angry and they just want to vent,” he says. “You need to look at the concern from several angles—and peel back the layers of the onion—to identify where there’s a real issue.”

Still, ensuring that input from a survey is representative of the entire market is not the most important goal, Solomon cautions.

“If you get a significant number of a particular type of response—for example, interest in a type of product you are not yet offering—that should be good enough for you to launch a low-risk experiment that allows you to test this opportunity further,” he says.

The key to successful customer feedback programs? Never stop asking questions, listening and responding.

“Companies should make sure to celebrate their victories when they’re doing something exceptionally well and make adjustments when they’re not,” Fraterman says. “Make sure all the basics are covered first, then expand your reach.”

7 tips for building ‘monster loyalty’

Famous for her No. 1 hits, outrageous outfits and over-the-top performances, Lady Gaga is one of the most successful pop musicians of all time. But along with her talent and showmanship, Lady Gaga has another strength—a well-honed strategy for attracting and retaining intensely loyal fans. That strategy contains seven key elements, which also hold lessons for businesses looking to encourage customer feedback and build loyalty, says Jackie Huba, an Austin, Texas-based customer loyalty expert and author of the new book, Monster Loyalty.

  1. Focus on your “One Percenters” Look for those customers who are most active and enthusiastic about your company or product—the “One Percenters,” the equivalent of Lady Gaga’s most passionate fans, whom she refers to as her “little monsters.” The key to finding your most engaged customers is to create vehicles that are easy for them to be involved with, Huba says. Effective engagement methods for businesses include toll-free numbers and comment cards, opt-in email newsletters, third-party forums and blogs, and social media channels.
  2. Lead with values Lady Gaga distinguishes herself from other musicians “by standing for something bigger than herself and for sharing her values,” Huba says. “Customers feel a deep emotional connection with you when they identify with your values or cause.” This kind of connection isn’t easy to build, but when it is done with integrity and commitment, customers are very loyal. “They will evangelize you to others and recruit new believers into the fold,” Huba adds.
  3. Build community Lady Gaga first built her audience by playing gay clubs in New York, where she found strong support for her music, Huba writes. Companies can foster loyalty by finding “the community that is already building around your product or (tapping) into a community that is most likely to embrace you.” Possible steps include adding community features, such as online forums, to websites, or creating and moderating email discussion groups that encourage customers to connect.
  4. Give fans a name Giving fans and customers a name, like Lady Gaga’s little monsters or Maker’s Mark “ambassadors,” helps them identify with a like-minded community. “It gives customers a moniker by which they can find other members of the community and connect,” Huba says.
  5. Embrace shared symbols “Gaga’s little monsters have many shared symbols—including gestures and phrases—that everyone in the community understands,” Huba says. The shared knowledge helps people bond. She adds that companies need to be open to adopting symbols that fans have created—“this gives them ownership and makes them feel that you are embracing them as part of your team.”
  6. Make them feel like rock stars “Gaga’s lesson here is to become a fan of your fans,” Huba says. “Celebrate your customers and put them in the spotlight.” Huba suggests inviting select customers to special VIP events or highlighting an exceptional customer’s success with a blog posting, award or other recognition.
  7. Generate something to talk about “Are the things you are doing worthy of a word-of-mouth comment or referral from a customer to someone else?” Huba asks. Lady Gaga knows that, by standing out, her story and achievements will be passed regularly along via social media and other channels to a much larger group by the continually engaged One Percenters.

There’s an app for that

EthOS, a mobile app introduced by ethnographer Siamack Salari in 2011, offers companies an effective tool for viewing how their products and services are used by consumers.

The EthOS app allows brand owners to create projects and workspaces on the Web and then invite consumers to upload their own video clips, pictures, text or audio via smartphones to show how products, brands and services fit into their lives.

“This technology enables companies to facilitate more meaningful discussions between brand owners and consumers,” says Mike Wittenstein, principal designer at Storyminers, a customer experience and service design consultancy in Atlanta. “It provides a real-world glimpse at how products are used, giving companies an opportunity to go into customers’ homes and see the world from their eyes.”

EthOS (www.ethosapp.com) works on iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices. Companies can pay on a per-project basis or through a discounted monthly subscription fee.

Creating partnerships is key

Who knows more about the products they sell—manufacturers, their suppliers or their retailers? This question has no clear answer because all three sets of knowledge bases are necessary, says Micah Solomon, a Seattle-based customer service speaker, consultant and author of High-Tech High-Touch Customer Service.

Manufacturers have unique knowledge gained from all their marketplace interactions, but suppliers and retailers also have specific product knowledge to share, Solomon says.

“The catch is, if you want the knowledge and support, you have to treat suppliers and retailers like true partners,” he says. “Properly treated and included in your mix, they will save you in sticky customer situations and suggest innovations to improve future options for customers through their knowledge and effort.”

He recommends that manufacturers strive to build great relationships with all their business partners through a consistent “culture of trust and give-and-take.”

Along with providing valuable information about product design and quality, strong partnerships with retailers and suppliers also play a key role in customer satisfaction, according to Solomon.

“Only appropriately treated partners can come through for your customers in times of need,” he says.

When paired with a customer-focused culture within the manufacturer itself, robust partnerships are “the best way to start building sustainable customer service results that will, in turn, sustain your company,” Solomon says.

Key questions to ask retail partners

1. What attracted you to us originally?
2. What would you do if we weren’t here?
3. Can you name one particular individual in our organization who
impressed you?
4. What one thing could we do better?
5. Why do you buy from us?
6. If our business was the best in the world, what would it look like?
7. Name one thing that we do or don’t do that irritates you?
8. Who can we learn from?
9. What would you say to someone else who asked you about us?
10. What is the one thing we should never stop doing?

Source: Andyhanselman.com

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