Reading the Signs: Are Your Customers Trying to Tell You Something?

First things first: when we talk about the signs and signals your customers are sending, we’re not referring to emails, phone calls, and the like. While direct communication is a large part of this puzzle, it's often the more indirect messages that make the biggest statement. So let’s look at how you can decipher what your customers are saying, and decide how best to act on it.

Navigating the numbers

The first form of indirect communication you should turn your attention to are your key metrics. Depending on your particular business, this could be sales, leads, repeat custom, and so on; essentially, it’s the value you usually want to see going up at all times. Take a sample size of the last 90 days, then plot the data if you can (for easy reference), and see if you can spot any trends. Even a quick glance can sometimes be enough to identify important peaks and troughs. The data you’re looking at is an indirect message from your customer base, and it’s giving you vital info about demand for your product or service.

Discount the positive

One area that many businesses tend to overlook, probably due to pride, is complaints. Like it or not, as your business grows, you’re likely to receive a few complaints. But if you choose to ignore the message these complaints are delivering, you’re missing out on critical details that could help your business. It may be hard to do, but it’s worth taking the time at least once per month to delve into the complaints you’ve received in those 30 days. Are they highlighting something you’ve missed? Is there a way you can solve these issues quickly? Either way, complaints are an incredible tool when used right, so don’t ignore them.

Acting on indirect messages

So once you’ve identified these indirect messages, how do you best tackle them? Communication is key here. Using established channels like social media, email, and even direct phone calls, you can alert your customers to the changes you’ve been making based on the data you’ve dug up. In the case of complaints, you can reply to the customer in question and let them know that you’ve taken their feedback into consideration. In this way, your existing customer base will see that your business is reactive, engaged with its clients, and willing to take action when necessary. All of these factors will build your brand and increase customer loyalty, so there’s nothing to lose.

For a better way to stay in touch with your customers, check out the AutoVu CRM and FSM platform. A feature-rich solution that optimises your business, our platform will make it easier than ever to hear what your customers are saying.