Find out here

http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/psychology/social/asch_conformity.html

What customers want

To feel valued 35%
Canvass their opinion 18%
Feedback acted on 14%
Not taken for granted 20%
A sense of partnership 5%
Transparency 8%

Why customers leave

Price 21%
Customer service 34%
Convenience 10%
Requirement change 13%
Reliability/quality 18%
Other 4%

Alexander Dumas said, “Men have sight, women have insight” – the ability to discern the true nature of things.

Less controversially we are sure, through application, insight is available to men and women. Insight is gained in business through acute awareness of products and services, customers, the market, competitor activity and technological developments.

There is another essential dimension. Outsight – the sensitivity to know how we are seen by others.

There are two audiences in particular we must be in tune with. These are our customers and the people we rely on to deliver our promises to our customers.

Is it your experience that these “critical” audiences misunderstand you?

Longfellow tells us part of the reason when he said “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done”

Awareness of feedback from customers and employees is vital to developing a responsive business.

Are you giving customers what they want or what you think they want?
Because our perception is all we have to go on the later must be the case, but our perception may not be the ultimate truth.

We need to get frequent and relevant input from these two audiences to keep small the gap between our version of reality and theirs.

1. No peer pressure in groups or dominant personalities as online, therefore opinions are more honest and open
2. No geographical boundaries when online
3. Much easier and more cost effective to get participants online at the same time than to get them to meet at a specific venue
4. More cost effective - no need to pay hotel room for groups or participants transport costs and food/drink etc
5. Can stimulate and constrain participants with a private message
6. Initial response by individuals and then stimulates discussion amongst participants
7. Real time sessions with active facilitation
8. Everyone plays an active role and responds to all the questions
9. Group members post their personal views and then comment on others; no one is able to dominate the group
10. Faster turnaround – response is captured in real-time and projects can be completed in as few as 10 days
11. Respondents can participate from different regions, reducing regional bias.
12. Researchers, participants and clients can attend groups from a computer location of their choosing
13. Enables quick, easy and low cost discussions with online panels and customer databases
14. Appropriate for groups where participant anonymity is preferable
15. Easier to recruit tough-to-find targets who would be unlikely to come to traditional groups
16. Lower cost – e groups cost less than traditional groups and also eliminate travel and venue hire costs
17. Significant savings on time, recruitment, incentives, transcription and travel