Earlier this week we were running our applauded Experience Development Workshop with a group of business owners + business leaders to help them create exceptional experiences for their customers.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
One of the things that regularly comes up in discussions with CEOs, MD’s + business leaders is around customer reviews + in particular, how to respond to them + how to use them in their businesses.
Our Customer Strategy Framework – which covers the nine key areas businesses must be strong in to be truly customer-led – actually touches on customer feedback + reviews, so we know we can speak with authority on the subject.
But we also love to learn from our clients + some of the questions they ask us really get our creative juices flowing. In fact, in this recent workshop, an interesting reflection came from a participant in the room.
Let us give you a little background first…
WHAT IS YOUR CUSTOMER SAYING?
For many business leaders getting their head around what their customers are saying about them + what it means for their businesses, is a real challenge. Most people think that reviews are something to respond to + move on from, but how about this…
What about using your customer reviews to drive improvement in your business or using them to totally reframe the way you look at your business – from a customer’s perspective? Wouldn’t that be valuable?
WHEN YOU’VE ONLY GOT GREAT REVIEWS
So, back to our business leader + her interesting reflection…
“I’ve only got great reviews. That’s a problem, right?”
Well no, it’s not a problem, we responded.
“But I can’t find any way of improving off the back of these reviews. Because they’re all positive, there’s nothing – they’re not telling me anything (that I can improve)!”
Remember our word ‘reframe’ from before?
At Customer Frame, we love to reframe the way our clients look at their businesses. In fact, we say, when you see the world through a customer’s eyes, you can’t unsee it.
THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT
Our business leader went on to read through her reviews as part of our workshop activity + before we know it, we hear the words
“Oh! This is THAT moment!”
What moment, we asked, excited.
“I’m at that moment we all work so hard for in our lives! Reading these positive reviews has helped me reconnect with the fire that’s in my belly, the reason I get up in the morning, the ‘why’ I work in my business!”
Wow.
As she read what her customers were saying about her + her team, it began to create a positive energy within her, an excitement, a connection with why she was running her business in the first place.
In fact, she realised just how much her customers loved her + her team + her business. This positive advocacy that she had thought was wasted + gave her nothing to work with, was actually an amazing asset.
THE UNEXPECTED POWER OF POSITIVE REVIEWS
“Reading through our positive customer reviews is so powerful! I’ve never actually sat down + taken the time to read them all! Wow!”
She was incredulous. + excited. + energised. She was pumped!
We asked her how she felt having had this realisation + she told us how she was going to take these learnings back to her team + get her team to go through the process themselves.
“We’re so busy in our businesses these days. We’re always running to get the next thing done. We don’t actually stop + listen to what our customers are saying + reconnect to that heart that’s actually sitting within our business.”
How’s that for a reframe?!
TAKE ACTION IN YOUR ORGANISATION
So what should you do, right now?
Take a seat, grab a coffee, open up your customer reviews + have a read – not of the negative ones that you always read, but your positive ones. Spend a chunk of time + let yourself absorb the amazing energy that comes from some customer love.
Why?
We promise you, it will reconnect you with why you’re leading the business + it will energise your team to do more of the stuff your customers love, whilst also giving them a huge pat on the back for all the things they do.
Enjoy! You deserve it.
