The decisions and changes businesses make are typically based on customer feedback. However, it has been found that only 4% of customers will complain or give feedback. Therefore, you are catering and changing to suit the needs of an extremely small proportion of your customers. To truly know what your customers want, you need to think like a customer.
Understand the Mindset of Your Customers
When a customer is judging your business, they are comparing the experience they receive, not only to others in your industry but to any other business where they receive a similar service. They will compare how your business answers phones to anyone else they have ever experienced answering a phone. Customers desire a personal connection and want to feel as though you care
What Customers Really Want
From your employees, your customers desire certain things to ensure their visit is memorable and put you above the competition.These include:
- a personal connection from employees.
- reliability in doing what is promised.
- being responsive to their needs.
- assurance they are getting their monies worth.
- empathy.
- tangibles.
- the ability to be wowed or surprised
- most importantly they want an experience they can share with others
Wants vs. Needs
One important thing to understand is the wants and needs of your customers, which can be very different from one another depending on the customer. Simply put, their needs are typically related to the product or service you can provide for them, while their wants are more related to the service they receive from you and your business.