Customer experience research is vital for a business whether it is a new player in the market or an established brand. Customers would be your main source of income for any business so their satisfaction and feedback on your services and products are essential to enhance your brand image, stimulate recurrent sales and build brand loyalty. In the modern corporate world, there are third-party companies that provide these services which come in various forms from face to face customer interviews, research analytics, and mystery shopping.
What matters the most to your business
What matters the most all boils down to one thing – your customers. Place your customer base in the driver’s seat to identify their needs, wants and suggestions for improvement. Smart technology like research collecting smartphone apps means you would have a valuable database on the go and would not be limited to geography. A company would be able to collect essential data in real time with no bias input. Simply enrolling customers on these apps can give you access to their insight into the field and company the research is for.
Mystery Shopping and what it can bring you
Let’s start with a ground explanation of the concept of mystery shopping. It is first and foremost an external market tool and is fast becoming an effective one. Mystery shopping agencies which specialize in these services would first find average people who fit into the target customer profile. The parameters for performance are set and are based on certain criteria ranging from service transaction time, how customers are addressed and greeted and even things like the ambiance of the place. A mystery shopper has a very vital role and must stick to the guidelines for measuring performance. They must paint a very realistic and accurate picture of what the average customer experiences while obtaining a service or product. These third-party agencies may employ people to carry out this task at various locations to broaden the spectrum of the customer base using your brand. All the data collected is then processed by these agencies which then come up with methods and modules to enhance your company’s ability to provide an unforgettable customer experience. Remember it is not making your customers feel “good” it is making them feel “great.” This is what will bring in customer loyalty into your business.
Customer Interviews
Customer interviews are one of the oldest methods of extracting customer opinions and feedback but of course, the interview must be directed at customers which you would consider a part of the target market. Another key factor is that these interviews must not be biased and must not involve any internal endorsements for business promotion. Target questions would include what the customer would tell their friends if anything at all and asking for their suggestions to improve your services for them. Take this as constructive criticism, because if you are not willing to accept the mistakes you do as a business and grow from them but instead take in a negative light there is a very little chance you would expand. An interview can give you immediate and real-time results which is why it is still used as a customer experience research technique.
