Understanding what their customers really want, what they might think about their products or services and how they are doing compared to their main rivals are all things that we frequently hear our clients say they would like to know.
Customer surveys, whether by phone, on-line or face-to-face are one way of filling the customer insight gap. However, if you are strapped for cash or just want to make sure you’re spending your insights budget effectively it is worth taking a little bit of time to explore what information you might already have or be able to access for free.
Here are three tips for finding out more about your customers without spending anything:
Complaints – what do your customer support or returns tickets tell you about where you might be able to improve your service or aren’t meeting your customers expectations? Looking at a recent sample and sorting into frequently occurring themes or topics can give you a good idea of what their main concerns are and an idea where to start to make changes.
Mystery shopping – Have you ever wondered what it feels liked to buy your product or service? You can do this yourself or ask friends or family to do this to get an idea of whether the reality of buying your product or service lives up to your expectations. The results can be insightful.
Suppliers – your suppliers are also your competitors’ suppliers. You might be pleasantly surprised if you invite them in for a cuppa how much they will be willing to share with you, without breaking any confidences, about what’s happening in your market place and where you are at risk of falling behind.
If you want more support on getting better customer insight or what to do with it to innovate to improve your products or services contact us at Pivot Lab enquiries@pivotlab.uk