Customer Voice Speaks the True Customer Experience | #CX #Leadership

When it comes to customer experience, leaders and business owners must always remember that the customer voice tells the world what they experience. No matter what you want the customer experience to be, what they actually experience and feel about it speaks volumes! So how can you be open to the customer voice, respond to it, and even capitalize on it?



Customer Voice: Image is quote "Learn to listen sometime opportunity knocks very softly. ~ unknown author"

Customer Voice is the True Customer Experience. Image by Quiet Place via Flickr Creative Commons License.

Image by QuietPlace via Flickr Creative Commons License.


Why More Businesses Aren’t Open to What Customers Say

Every business owner, leader, and manager, knows that that customers speak about their customer experience. People talk. Here is a classic example of a very dissatisfied banking customer who spoke to local news and the word spread!

Even leaders and business owners talk when they themselves are the customers. Given that, it is curious that more companies don’t listen and value what the customer is saying. What gets in the way of listening to the customer voice?

  • Mistrust. When leaders and business owners tap me to improve the customer experience, I unfortunately discover that they believe customers will be selfish and overly demanding. My advice: You will handle that if it arises. Listen to the customer voice and find all the opportunities to satisfy them.

  • Control. Some business owners and leaders want full control over everything. So they block out what customers say to feel like they themselves are in control. My advice: Your business is nothing without the customers. Try to control them and you will lose. Listen and form positive bonds with customers and they will reward you!

  • Fear. When they hear negative feedback from customers, they panic and stop listening. My advice: Replace fear with wonder and curiosity. It will transform your life and your business.



Customer voice: Image is my quote "Replace fear with wonder. It transforms your life and your business."

“Replace fear with wonder. It will transform your life.” ~Kate Nasser



How to Be Open to the Customer Voice

A few simple yet very important components will always serve you, your business, your employees, and your customers well.

  1. Desire to Serve. When your driving force is the desire to serve, you will listen and embrace the customer voice.

  2. Engage in Conversation. Instead of seeing it as a transaction, see customers as people and you will hear their voice.

  3. Empathy. Empathy builds bonds of trust. It’s also how you learn what the customer truly feels and needs. Show them you care about what they are going through.

  4. Allow employees to do the same. Forget scripts and time-limited calls. Hire employees that love working with people and they will hear what the customers is truly saying.


The Customer Voice is Your Survival

Start each day with the motto, “It’s time again to listen.” Your mindset and your employees’ attitude each day will decide whether you hear what the customer voice. Business is a partnership between your company and your customers. Enjoy it and make it enjoyable for them.

From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

Listening Epiphanies: What Will You Discover Today?
What Happens Before Awakens Your Empathy for Others Now
How to Resist These Irresistible Yet Damaging Customer Service Urges
Listen, Don’t make Excuses

©2020 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.


Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.



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3 Responses to “Customer Voice Speaks the True Customer Experience | #CX #Leadership”

  1. Nice Post. Thank you for sharing, it’s very helpful for us.

    We have also a good blog about call center service, please have a look – https://riemensolution.in/why-you-need-to-outsource-telemarketing-call-center-service/

  2. A very important (and evergreen) post, Kate.
    I also advocate listening to frontline and all customer support employees for their feedback and suggestions. However, this only works in a culture without control and fear, as you sagely point out. I know too many organizations where employees are afraid to share negative feedback upward because senior management doesn’t want to hear it and/or their typical response is to “shoot the messenger.”

    • Kate Nasser says:

      Well Sybil, you are right. There are still many companies w/ senior management who don’t want to hear negative feedback while at the same time saying they do want it. Makes me curious as to where the gap is. I often get to work on these challenges and I find them intriguing, challenging, and yes rewarding when we find the gap and fix it.

      Thanks for adding to this discussion!
      Kate

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