How To Get More Insight From Your Customer Feedback
Say you’re on the bus and you strike up a conversation with the man sitting next to you. You turn your head to look out the window for a brief second, and when you turn back, there is a different man sitting next to you. Would you notice?
We would probably all say, emphatically, yes!
In reality, though, we human beings have what is called “change blindness.” We often don’t notice large changes happening right in front of our eyes.
In 1998, Simons and Levin carried out this exact experiment. They had participants strike up a conversation with a stranger, then during a brief interruption they replaced that stranger with a different stranger. Many of the participants didn’t notice the change, even though they were face-to-face with their conversation partners.
If we are prone to missing large changes right in front of our eyes, what are the chances you are missing important details if you’re looking at the same customer data in the same way every single day?
Zoom In for Individual Customer Insights
The first thing you need to do to see new information in your customer data is make sure you are using a data reporting tool that gives you the option of looking at your data in different ways. Once you have this, the fun begins.
Drill down into your customer data and look at it on a granular level. You can gain insight into their identities and behaviors, like:
- What are the interests of customers who have purchased your higher-end products?
- What hobbies are the most popular among a certain age group?
- What users on your website are the most influential on Facebook?
Go beyond traffic and clicks and look at the people you are serving. Previously hidden insights will begin to arise.
Zoom Out for Market Overviews
Now get a macro-level look at your data. Zoom out and look at your market as a whole.
- Where is most of your website traffic stemming from?
- What age are most of your customers?
- What day of the week do people purchase your low-end product or your high-end product?
Getting this broad view of your customer base can reveal patterns you may have previously missed.
Problems Can Be Opportunities
You now have a bug’s-eye view of your customers as well as a bird’s-eye view of your market. Now it’s time to do something that may be uncomfortable…
It’s time to look at negative feedback.
No one wants to read negative reviews about their company, products or services. No one wants to read conversations about how they failed…
But this negative information is priceless
Not only do you get a unique opportunity to get inside your customers’ heads, but you also get the opportunity to see your offering from a different angle. Negative feedback can tell you where there are gaps in your customer service, or where your product isn’t living up to its promise. These are opportunities for improvement.
If you’re really lucky, that negative feedback will also reveal areas of the market that none of your competitors are addressing. If you can address it first, if you can serve that customer need first, you will be light-years ahead of your competitors.
It’s Time to Notice the Stranger
If we human beings don’t notice when the person we are talking to face-to-face changes, it’s likely we don’t notice other changes either – unless we’re really paying attention.
Getting creative with how you are viewing your customer data is a great way to find previously hidden information – information you can use to serve your customers better.
Read more about Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Customer Journey – Transform your CX
Do you want to create a superb customer journey? Gain a competitive advantage, enjoy greater profitability and deliver a superior customer experience? Download our new whitepaper now!