What Do You Want to Learn from Your Customers this Year?

Customer satisfaction is, of course, your number one goal as a company, but do you really know what learning from customers entails? Do you know what your customers think about you? Customer research and learning what makes them tick will go a long way towards meeting their needs and desires, as a company.The importance of learning from customersIt's a fact that companies who listen to their customers are the most successful.Whether it's taking surveys, having customer satisfaction drop boxes, talking to them directly, or just observing their behavior in a brick and mortar business; your customers should be top priority. If a manager looks closely at a customer at a department store, they will notice some key things in reading their customer. These include:

• Their stance--meaning how they stand or how they walk. When walking in the store, do they rush quickly to find what they need, or do they casually walk, checking out the merchandise as they go along? Or when they're waiting in line; do they stand and fidget or are they calm? Knowing when there's too many people in a line and when to open a new one is also important so your customers get what they what, when they want it.
• Their voice when serving them--how do they talk? Are they frustrated, upset? Can you tell if you're really serving them well?
• Their actions--do they just go in, buy a few things and then they're outta there? Are they friendly with the staff? Do they complain? Or online, do they visit the site many times, or just once? These things you can observe and change strategies when needed.

When should a company research customer satisfaction?If you're a business, the answer should be continually. The best times are usually after a big holiday season, such as Christmas. These times are the most hectic and busy, so knowing how customers feel during those times is critical to ensure you're meeting your customer's demands in an efficient and quality-driven way.Hiring a research firm is the best way to help in learning from customers. They have the insight, knowledge, and expertise on how to best survey your customers. For example, Disney has two crucial components to their successful business model: 'Know me' and 'be relevant.' They ask questions constantly, and through the 'characters,' they learn valuable information in a fun, interactive way.Learning from customers can be eye opening to how your business model runs, and can be immensely helpful in determining your success.