What People Magazine Knows About Customer Experience Management

When Seal and Heidi Klum called it quits earlier this year, they reported having “grown apart’, a common theme among Hollywood power couples; they come together in a storm of romance, and beat a hasty retreat at the first sign of trouble. They gush about their new beau when things are new, but lose interest once their needs inevitably change.

So, what about your relationship with your customers? Sure, you probably don’t have paparazzi following you to every meeting, luncheon, or conference, but when things change, business relationships can fall prey to the same pitfalls as Hollywood romances do.

How do you know when your customer’s needs have changed? Do you know what’s important to them - now? And on the flip side, how do you let your customers know when your needs have changed?

For starters, not all customers leave suppliers because of price, products or options. Research tells us that most leave because they feel that their current supplier doesn't understand them or their needs. There’s that word again: needs.

So, how are you staying ahead of your customer’s changes? How are you letting them know that you care about them? Here are few tips for making sure that your company doesn’t end up on the cover of People magazine.

 

When you hear the rumors, don’t call your publicist…Call your customer - When organizations are in flux—and that's just about everyone these days—knowing exactly what’s changing and how it affects you is just as valuable as knowing what your team or organization are up to. So, if you recognize that something isn’t quite right, ask. Don’t wait to be blind-sided. A simple conversation might be all that’s needed to keep everything moving ahead.

The couple that chats together, stays together –Look for new opportunities to build communication bridges, so that when things change, you will be the first to know. And once you’re talking, make sure to listen too. Nothing can kill a relationship faster than not listening to your partner. Speak to them. Listen to them. Treat them like a real partner and they won’t be so eager to split when things change.

Sometimes it’s just time to make a new movie – There are going to be times when your products or services simply are no longer what your customer needs. This is an immutable fact of doing business; you can’t be everything to everyone forever. But if you’ve kept in contact with your customers and listened and treated them like a business partner, then even lost customers can be good for business. After all, they might not need your products, but they just might have a friend who does… 

Remember, you can change it - we can help!