If you can sign-up for a free account with SurveyGizmo.com or SurveyMonkey.com, then you can create a simple yet customer service enhancing voice of customer program.
Simply put, a VOC program is surveying your customers on a regular basis to find out just what they think of your brand. The key is to gather data that is quantifiable so you can easily track how you are doing over time.
I sent an email to a local print shop asking them to print some business cards last minute for me before I was to leave on a business trip. In my email, I specified that they should call me to come pick up the cards when they were finished. This shop usually drops all of our print jobs off. But since I was leaving work early that day, I would miss the delivery and needed to pick the cards up in person.
I just got screwed.
I made the classic first-time-to-China-and-I-have-no-idea-where-my-hotel-is-so-I’ll-believe-the-taxi-driver mistake. Since I wasn’t sure where my hotel was, how to get there, or what to pay to get there, I trusted the taxi mob (even though I felt like I was about to get screwed). And sure enough, I way overpaid. Leaving me pretty miffed.
But consider the transaction from the point of view of the taxi drivers. White guy, clearly American, and looking rather dazed from 20 hours of traveling. Chances are, this is a rare trip for me to China. And they are right. I’ll probably never come back to Guangzhou, China after this trip. So why not get every penny they can from me in this one transaction? It’s not as if they are building a brand or relationship. They are a one time service provider.
It’s story time boys and girls.
Overwhelmed by running a business, a home, two kids and me, my wife decided it was time for a housekeeper to help out a bit. After research and multiple interviews, we found Tracy (name changed). She’s been working for us for about three weeks. Earlier this week, my wife came home at 2:30 to find that she had not come at 2:00 as agreed. Just before 3:00, my wife ran some errands. At about 5:15 she finally got in touch with Tracy and asked why she hadn’t come. Here’s her response:
“I couldn’t come at 2, so I came at 3 instead. And you weren’t home.”
The problem? She never communicated the time change to my wife!
I have been a Carl’s guy for years, though I’m rethinking my loyalty due to one repeating issue – I can’t get what I order. Let me explain. Yesterday, a Double Western Cheeseburger sounded so good. I pulled up to the drive-thru and was first offered the special Grilled Cheese Burger. I said no and then ordered the Double Western. Once we pulled away, I was dismayed to find the special Grilled Cheese Burger in place of my Double Western.