Experiment of the experiment customer: Listening, learning from, and acting on the voice of the customer

There 'new Three Letter Acronym of SA making the rounds outside there-and him 's already obtaining on my nerves. The acronym? CEM. Limit? Management of experiment of customer.

To be sure, the fundamental idea is attractive. There are certainly value in a positive experiment of customer, and him 's interesting to explore the many manners in which could conceive, optimize, and support this practice. Who 's against giving to customers a memorable and signicative experiment?

The noises once again like much the management of report/ratio of customer (CRM). Look at, I am a total pragmatist. While I made my career as a professional adviser, I 'm approximately as far from a traditional adviser as you can obtain. While other advisers unroll refined methodologies of CEM for their customers of corporation, I concentrated on providing the practical advice and profitable on this subject.

The companies of all the sizes would like to improve the customer the 'experiment of S and to derive the advantages. But the companies should understand that the matter is far less complex than the experts would make them believe.

Consider the case of one of my customers that really obtains to him when it comes to the delivery on the experiment from customer.

The company, studios of Benjamin, are located at Atlanta of the center, Georgia (US), in a hip and a historical development of attic which in the past placed the seed factory of Hastings. It 'company the four years old of SA which captained by strongly - succeeded, periodic contractor of thirty-seven-year-old called Benjamin Nowak.

The idea for studios of Benjamin was inspired by the explosion in numeric photography and the free expression. As a more C-it-yourselfers copies numerical treated with the house, less photographs were taken at the traditional laboratories of treatment of photograph for professional finishing. The consumers became fanatic about capturing all theirs magic moments in the life by the suitability of personal numeric photography. Is in it the occasion for the studios of Benjamin and its current line of the offers of product to the detail. The consumers appreciate the option to transform some their best photographs and numerical memories into durable works of art which can be shown in the faces of 14 X 10 with the murals life size. Industry with the detail of photograph on arrival is excited and of support of this service because she sees the studios of Benjamin �offers like strategy of replacement of income for the traditional businesses of photograph on arrival (copies). While some of studios of Benjamin of the� sales are directly to the consumer, the major part of its business comes by relationship with the professional photographs, the studios of portrait, and the national chains with the detail of photograph on arrival, such as the camera of Ritz.

During the last year, the company had machine some products for the channel with the detail in a pilot program with a national chain. The pilot was programmed for launching in seventy stores. In order to fix the complete unfolding of more than 1.000 stores, it was critical with the studios of Benjamin to make sure that the product and the customer test are machines for maximum success.

Here some stages Benjamin which the studios took during the year to obtain its customers made with his offer, and how the company employed its customers 'entered the irresistible product of technician �has� and provides an experiment beginning of customer.

Approach of technology of product: Profit of the feedback of the customers

The challenge of product was to take what was already successful businesses concentrated on the raised professional market at end, and the particular offer of technician �has� who could be placed in the space of market to the detail. After approximately a year of the technology of product, the studios of Benjamin produced it offering that the felt was ready for launching in a pilot program with the level with the detail.

As of the beginning, the dialogue was established between the studios of Benjamin 'customer (store chains of retail sale) and the consumer with the detail. Exposures of goods were installed in each pilot store, and a representative of the studios of Benjamin was sent to spend a significant number of hours to each service. The representative of studio was charged to facilitate the dialogue and to capture his gasoline.

Initially, a discussion was launched with the store chain of retail sale to determine the optimal placement and the arrangement of posting. The representative of studio would offer the significant entry, including suggestions and examples in the way in which the place of posting had played a main role in the success of the sales in other equipment. All feedback on samples, forms of order, and other articles of support were document-and frequently incorporate-before next posting entered the next store.

After, a training course was led to inform management and the senior partners about the product thus they would include/understand it and be able to present it indeed to their customers. Part of this formation included to distribute products witness and the forms of order to the latter store the personnel. When the formal training course was complete, the representative of studio would remain on the spot to help to store the personnel sharpen their presentation and of the qualifications of sale. It was also a crucial occasion so that the representative of studio observes and of records consumers 'reactions, comments, and questions.

At the end of the session, a talk was held with the management of store and joins to gain feedback on the manuscripts of sales, the forms of order, and any other material of support. Still, each attempt was made incorporate their feedback before the next store was installed.

The studios of objective Benjamin 'were to make sure that she learned how to return its customers been successful, all in at the same time taking part with them in the development, formant, and the design of in-store the experiment of the consumer. The company did not wait until all the stores were unrolled before the action on feedback that it received the store by the store in all the process. She embraced an approach dynamic, iterative, and of collaboration to the design of products and in-stores the sale. And, as envisaged, the company 'the formation and the support of sales of S contributed frankly to the image of the stores.

While this example seems rather simple, and can almost seem like the pure good sense, the studios of Benjamin acted that few companies never make. Initially, it seized the occasion to acquire the feedback of the customers as of very the beginning. Too much often when a company envisages a product or an offering service, it as is not worried by the customers 'feedback while it is with obtaining the unrolled and sold product. Too much often, the companies does not start to learn from the customer until the sales managed not to reach hopes. That becomes the point to which target groups, interviews, and the other means are deployed to learn what functions and which isn 't. However, an extraordinary amount of money and resources can be wasted in interval-supposing can even recover initial steps.

In this case, the studios of Benjamin started to collect the feedback and the useful perspicacity of the day one. It also established an open dialogue and a report/ratio of confidence with the stores. The result? Full sales, low costs of maintenance of account, and a continuous jet of news and constructive ideas.

Secondly, it had confidence in its customers to act on their feedback. That takes entraille to listen to your customer and then to take an immediate and real measure. Too much often, the companies supposes that they know better than their customers. After all, they the 'VE devoted so much time and the effort developing the product or the service.

But it is where the companies are frequently wrong. Yes, a company of the 'engineers of S, professionals of sales, and the personnel of sale should all be closely implied in the design, the development, and the course of new offers. However, truly successful companies aren 't frightened to let the customer lead. The immediate measurements taken by Benjamin Studios because of the entry of customer and consumer allowed the company ouvrer an optimal solution before the thirtieth store was on line. The company obtained it right for its customer as of the access by the study and the action in the moment.

Approach of experiment of customer: Identification and action on drivers of value

In my opinion, there are two key components required an experiment of customer who answers or exceeds with the customer with 'hopes of S. You must include/understand what it is value of customers and how indeed you answer these criteria. The studios of Benjamin is an irresistible example way of delivering indeed and of improving without interruption on the experiment of customer.

During the pilot of national unfolding, the representatives of studio continued to meet the management of store of the national chain to receive feedback on the product and to program the combination. The store chains of retail sale were impressed Benjamin actions which the studios had taken to support the pilot stores, and were convinced that the line of product was carried in balance to be a success.

But the studios of Benjamin wanted to develop a loop of more formal negative feedback to supplement its current efforts. The company decided it required to put precise questions about what the stores and their customers evaluated, and the way in which the products and services piled up upwards against their hopes. But how the studios of Benjamin did discover what the stores and their customers evaluated? They asked, naturally.

Before obtaining any feedback on the execution, the studios of Benjamin questioned directors of store and associates of sales probing of the questions about what they evaluate. Once the company had a strong direction of these drivers of value, it started to see that with which point it carried out against these hopes. A similar process was deployed with the consumers with the detail who visited the store.

Armed with the drivers with value and the limits of the program controls to guide them, the studios of Benjamin go up an investigation of feedback of the customers (see the chart of score and the rows of the real outline on diagram 1). Discussions of value of customer, the stores identified the four principal drivers of value like service to the customers, store the installation and the formation, order handling, and in-store the sale. The studios of Benjamin also sought additional feedback on the total value and satisfaction to create its chart of score.

The directors of store were invited to evaluate their satisfaction with the combination value for the articles enumerated on a scale of one to ten (with one being equal to any value from the whole, and ten being equal to the exceptional value which exceeds hopes). As you can see real results, the studios of Benjamin behaved excessively well in its initial outline.

Store #	202	204	301	321	342	389	432	456	489	502
Service to the customers	9	10	10	9	9	10	10	10	9	10
Store the installation and the formation	7	8	9	9	9	7	9	8	8	10
Order handling	6	9	10	8	7	9	10	9	8	9
Sale	8	9	10	9	9	9	8	10	7	9
Satisfaction of the customer perceived	8	9	10	10	9	9	9	10	9	9
The customer the 's perceived the value	10	9	10	10	8	8	10	8	9	10
Potential growth	10	9	10	9	7	7	8	7	8	9
Total satisfaction of store	9	9	9	9	8	9	9	9	9	9

Diagram 1. investigation of feedback of the customers (chart of score and rows)

It well at the 'time of S resembles so that the studios of Benjamin declare the victory and pass? Well, not if you 'about the studios of Benjamin. Sour, these results were certainly something to celebrate. With the execution on this level, the company seemed well on its way with a national unfolding triumphing. But the studio did not throw a part, and it was not laid out to rest on its bay-trees.

The studios of Benjamin estimated that, based on these results, there was part for the improvement with the installation and the formation of store. Consequently, of the detailed interviews were led with the personnel of store to determine which actions could be taken with a later increase the level in value which in-store the personnel tested in these sectors.

In one week, the studios of Benjamin acted to improve the formation for the next unit of stores based on the specific feedback and suggestions. It also created a simple reference of sale of guide and office to improve the assistance the stores while selling and by supporting the offers. While the representatives of studio started to revisit the stores and to provide the guides of sale of recent creation, they made a remark say the directors and the personnel of sales that this new tool was created while a direct result of their feedback. Useless to say, the stores were very impressed answer of the studios of Benjamin, and were obviously justified to continue to provide feedback and the perspicacity which would help to support the company 's.A. proposed national unfolding.

Finally, the studios of Benjamin obtained the national contract and, as mentioned, are now in the course of on the loading of almost 1.000 stores through the USA. I would propose that the company is carried in balance for success.

Power of the participation of customer

While this famous case, the participation and the feedback of customer can be enormously powerful factors in the development of an successful experience of customer. The companies of all the sizes can seize this occasion, just as the studios of Benjamin made, if they remember these points while making take part customers in the design of the experiment.

Initially, ask and you will receive. You will be astonished how much perspicacity cost laid out with the current and prospect customers to give you if they believe that it will profit them. Your work is to convince them that it, and then to deliver it on this promise.

Secondly, entrails to follow your customer 'example of S. Assurez you have that you raise the good questions, that you include/understand the answers completely, and that you are made to act. Nothing frustrates a customer more than being asked the sound to enter and the opinion to only discover it was not taken into account. If you made a customer know what became of its entry (even if specific a measure was not taken), then you are good will of building.

You include/understand customers �drivers of value. It is not enough to provide to customers the goods and the services which they have need. You must be different from competition. You must provide an experiment of customer who is personally irresistible with your customers. You must see the value by their eyes, not necessarily yours. In conclusion, you must implacably try to include/understand how your execution rises against your customers of the� hopes. The outlines, the interviews (formal and without ceremony), and the good obsolete observations are certain manners of making sure that your execution meets or exceeds customers 'hopes.

CEM do not need to be a new methodology of mystical consultation which defies our comprehension. On the other hand, him 's about mentality, attitude, and empathy. He 's about collaboration, to learn, and to act. That 's how we fill the gaps of value and execution which separate us from our customers. That 's how we conceive and provide an successful experience of customer.