Kissing a Cactus Frans Reichardt

This episode of Kissing a Cactus is about what I like to call ‘corporate deafness,’ and its harmful consequences.


The customer’s pain remains unresolved and is even increased because feedback is not listened to;
customer pain cannot be mitigated if an organization is unaware that the customer is experiencing pain;
customer processes can’t be improved;

And as a result…


the motivation of customers to respond to subsequent requests for feedback decreases;
this may cause the organization to mistakenly believe that customers who remain silent are satisfied.

In addition to asking customers for feedback, it is just as important to do something with that customer feedback. Without blindly doing what a customer wants, you can listen to your customers, weigh customer feedback, and make targeted improvement choices. In addition, you can let your customers know that you have taken note of their feedback, thank them for it, let them know what you are going to do with it, and inform them later about choices made and the next steps.

This is a process that is called closed-loop feedback. It helps you to improve the customer experience in a structured way and to keep your most important stakeholders, your customers, informed.

As a customer experience professional, you are a connector by nature. You connect your organization, your brand with its customers. You act from a listening mindset: the willingness to listen, even if what you are going to hear might not match your ideas, your values, and beliefs. You know that what you are going to hear might even hurt. Yet, you listen. Because you know that what you are going to hear, will not kill you but will make you stronger. You listen because you know it will help you make the world a better place for your customers and your company.

How about non-commercial organizations like local, regional, national governmental, and semi-governmental bodies? Citizens consider themselves as tax-paying customers of their services. If they are not happy with the service provided, they do not have the alternative option to go somewhere else. They cannot go to a competitor. That makes it even more important to make them feel seen and heard. When citizens feel unheard, their shared sentiment forms a fertile breeding ground for rebellion, revolution, violence, or even anarchy.

Society could benefit from the listening mindset on which CX strategies are built, including Voice of the Customer. Therefore more CX professionals like you should find their way into organizations even more than they already do. In companies and local, regional, national, and international governments and institutions. These are the organizations that often operate at a far distance from their customers.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could take your professional listening skills to the next level by using them to infect your family, your neighbors, your colleagues, and your customers with this listening virus?

In this first episode of Kissing a Cactus, I share a personal story with you about how I discovered the power of listening.
You will also learn what I mean by 'corporate deafness', and how brands can become listening brands.  
A listening mindset will help teams become listening teams and it will help you take your listening skills to the next level and become a listening leader.
If you are motivated to listen to the voice of the customer to build extraordinary customer experiences and work towards long-term sustainable customer relationships, you will be inspired by this episode of Kissing a Cactus.
#CustomerExperience #CX #VoiceoftheCustomer #VoC #ListeningMindset #ListeningLeadership