Conference
Customer Sentiment Drives Differentiation
By: Rick Kieser, Ascribe
Customer Sentiment is more than just a feeling ' it is a
critical mile marker on the road to brand differentiation. In my last blog, I
discussed the opportunity to compete based on customer experience ' what that
means, and how tricky it can be. The follow up question: HOW do you
harness CX insights to deliver a truly differentiated experience?
critical mile marker on the road to brand differentiation. In my last blog, I
discussed the opportunity to compete based on customer experience ' what that
means, and how tricky it can be. The follow up question: HOW do you
harness CX insights to deliver a truly differentiated experience?
I also outlined three things you must do in order to truly
compete on the basis of differentiated customer experience. Let's dig in a
little further to understand how you can use customer sentiment and insight
from open-ended and other survey data to accomplish your goal.
compete on the basis of differentiated customer experience. Let's dig in a
little further to understand how you can use customer sentiment and insight
from open-ended and other survey data to accomplish your goal.
1) Identify what
makes (or could make) you special in the eyes of customers
makes (or could make) you special in the eyes of customers
When you ask customers about their experience, there are
likely a few words they use more than others. In fitness centers, for example,
'locker rooms' is a phrase mentioned over and over again. Chances are
this is an opportunity for differentiation. To determine whether or not you're
there yet, take a look at what your best customers ' your biggest fans ' say
about your most important words. Are THESE customers satisfied with THIS part
of the experience? Customer sentiment can reveal a wealth of directional cues
about where you are and where you can and should be.
likely a few words they use more than others. In fitness centers, for example,
'locker rooms' is a phrase mentioned over and over again. Chances are
this is an opportunity for differentiation. To determine whether or not you're
there yet, take a look at what your best customers ' your biggest fans ' say
about your most important words. Are THESE customers satisfied with THIS part
of the experience? Customer sentiment can reveal a wealth of directional cues
about where you are and where you can and should be.
2) Understand the
underlying drivers of the customer experience
underlying drivers of the customer experience
It's one thing to identify a key component of your
customers' experience; it's a whole other challenge to understand what factors
drive how they feel about it. To stick with the 'locker room' example, we might
guess that clean towels, friendly attendants or special amenities could
contribute. But how do we know what tips the scale between poor, average
and exceptional? The point is, until you uncover those insights, you will only
be guessing at what to invest in, tweak, reinforce or promote.
customers' experience; it's a whole other challenge to understand what factors
drive how they feel about it. To stick with the 'locker room' example, we might
guess that clean towels, friendly attendants or special amenities could
contribute. But how do we know what tips the scale between poor, average
and exceptional? The point is, until you uncover those insights, you will only
be guessing at what to invest in, tweak, reinforce or promote.
3) Deliver
consistently, and monitor customer sentiment relative to your differentiator
consistently, and monitor customer sentiment relative to your differentiator
Once you know what customers care about most and how to make
sure YOU deliver it uniquely or better than anyone else, ongoing analysis can
tell you if you are succeeding, if customer sentiment or experience is
changing, and how consistently you are executing across your organization. All
it can take to degrade your competitive advantage is one kink in the system,
and watching variations among subsets of customers can help you stay ahead.
sure YOU deliver it uniquely or better than anyone else, ongoing analysis can
tell you if you are succeeding, if customer sentiment or experience is
changing, and how consistently you are executing across your organization. All
it can take to degrade your competitive advantage is one kink in the system,
and watching variations among subsets of customers can help you stay ahead.