B2C

Creating a working Voice of Customer program is not a simple task. You think of just starting to ask a few questions and nudging a few people in the right direction, and it seems fairly easy in the beginning, but then things start to get complicated. How do you prove that the questions you are asking are actually reflecting the situation? Why should the company pay for a separate questionnaire, while there is a perfectly fine 20-page-long annual marketing survey? Technology costs how much? Can’t we just use a (enter any free software name here) for that?

Could asking two simple questions actually help double your sales? 

Over the past 15 years, I’ve seen this and many other amazing results of well run Net Promoter programmes:

Net Promoter System could easily be one of the most debated (as well as misunderstood and underutilized) methods out there. 

Yet, two-thirds of all Fortune 1000 companies are utilizing the system. And after 15 years of working on dozens of customer experience programmes for major European brands, we have yet to find a more practical, effective and actionable approach. 

That is - when it’s done right. 

Net Promoter programme is the most practical, effective and actionable approach to better customer experience and can result in a growth of profits and loyal customers. 

But only if it’s done right. 

When implementing a Net Promoter programme, many organisations grow impatient. The initial business case may look compelling, but it may take months or even years before the results from acting on customer feedback show up in the (financial) numbers.

You can address part of this impatience by clearly managing expectations on what the programme can and cannot deliver in each stage of its development. But you can also plan for quick wins which you can pace across your first year (or even 100 days) of NPS implementation.

One of the questions we have been asked a lot recently is whether NPS is “GDPR-Proof”. Everyone is quite nervous about the GDPR regulation coming in May, as a misstep in managing the customers privacy could easily end up costing a company major amounts of fines.

Implementing a Net Promoter System® or any other Voice of the Customer programme can be difficult. You think of just starting to ask a few questions and nudging a few people in the right direction. It seems fairly easy in the beginning, but then things start to get complicated. You need to spend time setting things up, invest into technology, and keep on putting effort and internal resources even after the launch.

Stefan Kolle is the co-founder and managing director of Futurelab, a customer centricity and customer experience specialist consultancy working with some of the world's biggest brands to increase customer loyalty and profits. We recently spoke with Stefan about how companies everywhere can improve their customer experience.

Today my wife and I went to the local Home Depot to look for ideas for the walls in the small hallway where we keep the foster puppies. We were looking at some vinyl and porcelain options, trying to decide what would look good, but also be durable for the constant flow of puppies that come through our house, I believe 55 or so to date.

I originally wrote today's post for Clicktools. It was published on their blog on October 25, 2016.

In this second part of a two-part series, I continue detailing some important ways to ensure that your company is putting the customer at the center of all it does.