Use Feedback to Your Advantage
Recently our outside sales rep met with a longtime Solid Gold Northland client and store owner. This client is one who orders from us weekly, we speak with on the phone often, see face to face occasionally and our entire staff would have thought this customer was very please with our company.
After the appointment, the sales rep contacted me, saying the meeting went poorly and the customer had voiced much dissatisfaction with the company. This came as a surprise to me as well as our entire staff that has interaction with him. The sales rep and I discussed his dissatifaction and came up with our thoughts, but unfortunately our thoughts were only assumptions as the client did not ask for any specifics and we did not ask what we could do to make our service better.
This situation reminded me to refer to Jack Canfield’s book The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Chapter 19 talks about the importance of asking for feedback. Canfield talks about two specific questions you can use to get feedback you can take action on:
- On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with….. (the meeting we had today, the service we have been providing, etc.).
- What would it take to make it a 10?
With this particular client, the two questions above were not asked. The clients statements were very general, and I was left to come to my own conclusion on what I could do to make this a happy customer once again. I hope to meet with this client personally and will end our meeting by asking the above questions. Then I will make an action plan as to what this particular client needs from us so we’re doing an effective job for him.
Solid Gold Northland is now completing each interaction with our clients by asking the 2 feedback questions. No more surprises for us!
Lastly, be grateful for the persons honesty and thank them for their feedback. This is an opportunity build better relationships, improve your business, and to improve yourself.
P.S. We are on day two of asking the 2 feedback questions and it is turning out to be very fun and immediately improves on our customer relationships. Thank you Mr. Canfield!
Wishing you success & happiness,
Dawn Cobb
