Listening to customer feedback is a learned experience. Nobody wants to be told they have an “ugly baby,” and while our human instinct of fight-or-flight may protect us from predators, those responses are counter-productive if you are hoping to build customer loyalty. After all, customers aren’t apt to listen to YOU until you have listened to them.
Executives, usually eager to heard good news, must learn develop thick skin when confronted with less than stellar feedback. Because we are often far removed from the front line experience, we must retrain ourselves to hear criticism that is often laced with emotion. And it’s only when we listen to customers that we learn how to develop their loyalty.
I experienced a great example of how being thick skinned builds loyalty at SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) the other day. In a meeting full of clients, one of the directors asked for feedback regarding one of their online systems. My response had the impact of a hand grenade as I tossed in a very direct and harsh comment. Other users, emboldened by my candid answer, joined in and mentioned 4-5 other problems they experienced. Tim Toller of SVB resisted the urge to defend the problem, and instead acknowledged a few initiatives SVB had in place to improve the process. Tim then asked all of us to join a focus group to help out even further. Rather than wilt under the pressure, he invited us to participate more. Talk about earning my trust!
I left the meeting feeling as if my voice had been heard. Had I been answering VendorRate’s questions regarding communication and customer feedback, I would have scored them a 9!
Comments