What Types of Customer Data Were You Planning to Use in Your Planning
Process?
By William K. Pollock
Around this time every year, businesses begin their planning processes for the coming year. This is
typically the time when internal planning teams are created, planning deadlines are set, and marketing
goals and targets are established. But what types of customer data were you planning to use in your
planning process? And how were you going to get it in the first place? Now is the time to plan exactly
where your customer research will come from - and how to use it most effectively in supporting your
strategic planning process.
In today's economy, even the most skeptical services managers will agree that "the customer is always
right". Still, there are too many organizations that do not - or will not - go directly to their customers for
input and feedback. A reporter once asked the legendary bank robber, Willie Sutton, why he robbed so
many banks. Without hesitation, he replied, "Because that's where all the money is!". While Willie's
business practices may not have been either legally or politically correct, there was one thing that you
had to give him - he knew where to go to get what he needed. In the services industry, the place where
we need to go, to get the information we need - is the customer.
Some managers argue that internal call activity data, information and reports are all they need to
measure and track their organization's performance over time, and identify unmet user needs and
requirements. They claim that these internal data are more objective, accurate and statistically valid than
anything Market Research may derive from conducting customer needs, requirements and satisfaction
surveys. Objectively speaking, they are right! However, the customers your organization supports are
typically not objective in the way in which they assess and evaluate your performance and, in most cases,
the internal data you are able to derive do not adequately reflect their true perceptions of satisfaction - let
alone loyalty - with respect to your organization's performance. It is primarily for these reasons that we
believe the only true source of customer-focused research comes from the customers themselves - and
that the most effective means to collect this information is to interact with them through a customer
survey.
Customer Survey Design Components
Customer surveys, in and of themselves, are not new. They have been used for decades. What is new,
however, are the ways in which the data are collected, processed, analyzed and applied, as well as how
the information is ultimately integrated into the strategic planning process. Traditional modes of
conducting customer surveys via mail, telephone and personal interface have now been supplemented
through the introduction of Internet, E-mail or Web-based surveys. Newer data processing tools, coupled
with the increased speed of collecting and processing data through electronic means, have also made it
much easier - and quicker - to analyze the collected survey data. What used to take months to design,
execute, process and analyze now only takes weeks. Still, one thing remains unchanged over time; in
order for any customer survey program to be effective - especially with respect to supporting the strategic
planning process - it must address each of the following key survey design areas:
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Business Objectives, such as "Why is the research being conducted?" and "How is it going to be
used?"
Information Objectives, such as "What information do we need to support our business objectives?"
and "How can we most effectively obtain it?"
Organizational Structure, such as "What areas do we want to measure?" and "Which areas require
separate, or more detailed, analysis?"
Customers and Customer Groups, such as "Which customers should be surveyed?" and "Who
within each customer organization represents our most appropriate contact?"
Competitive Environment, such as "Who are our direct and indirect competitors?" and "Who should
we be benchmarking against?"
Operational Information, such as "How do we obtain current lists of customers?" and "How can they
best be reached?"
Statistical Requirements, such as "What is an acceptable margin of error?" and "How can the data
be most effectively reported?"
Previously Conducted Research, such as "What have we learned from our past studies?" and
"How can we integrate what we've learned into the new process?"
Internal Measures, such as "What mechanisms are currently being used to measure and track
performance?" and "How can we reconcile the external findings with our internal data?"
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Customer Relationship Management (CRM), such as "How can the customer survey program
support our overall CRM initiatives?" and "How can the results best be communicated internally and
externally?"
Tracking and Monitoring, such as "How should we track our customer needs, requirements and
satisfaction performance over time?" and "How frequently will we need to update our information
base?"
Timing and Scheduling, such as "When will the baseline results be required?" and "How quickly can
the survey be designed, executed, processed and analyzed?"
A Customer Satisfaction Measurement and Tracking program successfully addressing all of the areas as
described above would provide management with a comprehensive analysis of the baseline, or
"benchmark", customer needs and requirements/satisfaction survey results, as well as the analysis of
trend data that could be used to identify key patterns of change, or movement, in customers' perceptions
of services availability and performance over time. These would include, but not be limited to:
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Detailed analyses of the overall survey findings that establish baseline needs/satisfaction levels, and
track trends and shifts in customer needs and satisfaction from period-to-period;
The identification of specific areas requiring improvement and/or enhancement;
Generation of executive-level summary reports, detailed survey data and regular (e.g., quarterly)
tracking reports;
Assessments of the strategic implications for the organization based on the analyses of the overall
survey findings; and
Development of specific recommendations for improving the existing services portfolio and
corresponding levels of satisfaction.
Survey Research Applications and Uses
The applications and uses of the findings from a customer satisfaction measurement and tracking
program of this type would be multifold:
1. The organization could acquire new and useful input and feedback directly from its customers
regarding their perceptions of the value, need and levels of satisfaction associated with the
acquisition and use of the company's products and services.
2. The survey results could then be used to monitor trends in both company performance and customer
satisfaction over time. This information could contribute directly to the ongoing improvement of the
company's products and services as part of an overall marketing plan, and could ultimately lead to the
development of new, or modified, products, services and support features designed to meet the total
needs of the customer base.
3. The results of the survey could also be used as a marketing tool for promoting the company's various
product and service lines through a number of means including:
- The creation of an executive summary, or "white paper" report, based on the general survey
results, for distribution to targeted customers and prospects via mail, e-mail, insertion in corporate
literature folders, or at industry trade shows;
- Development of a series of promotional and public relations-oriented news releases targeted to
key business publications and trade papers; and
- Publication of a "genericized" summary of the survey results in an appropriate industry trade
journal or magazine that serves the organization's general customer/market base.
4. The results of the survey analysis, as well as a sampling of selected verbatim quotes and comments,
could also be incorporated directly into the company's advertising and promotional programs,
corporate brochures, testimonials, newsletters, etc.
Summary
Measuring customer satisfaction is a necessary process for all businesses, and not one to be taken for
granted. Simply because your customers appear to be satisfied with you today does not ensure that they
will remain satisfied forever. Why not let them tell you exactly what makes them "tick", and what "ticks"
them off? You can only do that if you take the effort to design, execute, analyze and track your
customers needs, requirements and corresponding levels of customer satisfaction, through an
orchestrated process, on an ongoing and focused basis. Make customer-focused research a part of your
ongoing strategic planning process. The time to start is now! You may need some help, so why not give
us a call?
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For More Information:
As always, for more information on Strategies For GrowthSM's full range of strategic marketing planning,
market research, customer survey, services marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and
business consulting services, you may also wish to check out our website at www.s4growth.com, or call
us at (610) 399-9717 for a one-to-one discussion of how we may be of assistance.
In the meantime, simply click on one of the following two URLs to access either an overview of our firm's
market research and consulting services, or our latest AFSMI Sbusiness Services Spotlight listing for
2002:
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Overview of SFGSM's Consulting Services: http://www.s4growth.com/home/overview.cfm
AFSMI/Sbusiness Services Spotlight 2002:
http://s4growth.com/handouts/ads/servicesspotlight2002.gif
The URLs that appear below will also provide you with direct access to website information on SFGSM's
market research and consulting services, including several web pages of Customer Satisfaction-related
materials and a client press release:
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Consulting Services and Capabilities: http://www.s4growth.com/consulting/services.cfm
Customer Satisfaction Measurement, Analysis and Tracking services:
http://www.s4growth.com/consulting/satisfaction.cfm
Customer Satisfaction Measurement Process:
http://www.s4growth.com/consulting/csm.cfm?chart=process
Customer Satisfaction Measurement Methodology:
http://www.s4growth.com/consulting/csm.cfm?chart=methodology
FrontRange Solutions Customer Satisfaction Results Press Release (citing SFGSM):
http://www.realmarket.com/news/goldmine011402.html
Until next month, keep your customers satisfied!
Very truly yours,
Bill
William K. Pollock
President
Strategies For GrowthSM
P.O. Box 1024
Westtown, PA 19395
USA
Tel: (610) 399-9717
Fax: (610) 399-9718
E-Mail: wkp@s4growth.com
Website: www.s4growth.com