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Tag: customer feedback

A Fresh Set Of Eyes For One DMV

 

dmv

 

Going to the DMV is never a pleasant experience – they are noted for long wait times, unpleasant staff, and other issues that cause dread in people needing to visit.

The DMV in Connecticut is making some big changes.  Commissioner Michael Bzdyra was recently appointed to the position, and after a close look at operations with what he refers to as “a fresh set of eyes” is making some sweeping changes to help improve the consumer experience, some of which include:

  • Conducting focus groups and surveys to learn more about why consumers aren’t utilizing the online services
  • Streamlining the telephone system to cut down on inefficiencies and wait times for callers
  • Creating accountability by appointing a Chief Operating Officer. Along the same lines, he is working to improve the training procedures at the facilities

These are three of the major changes coming based on a recent article. In this case, it’s a great opportunity for a new person to step in and take a look at overall operations from a fresh perspective; that is one step in fixing some of the general issues that can arise.

For your business, is it possible to implement changes and find a “fresh set of eyes” without changing key staff?

Absolutely. Here are a few tips:

  • Similar to what this DMV is doing, take an objective look at processes in place. Now is a good time to ask employees for feedback and look at customer feedback survey data – any trends or consistent trouble spots? If so, you now have a starting point.
  • Get a fresh set of eyes from outside the company. Hiring a mystery shopping service to get a baseline snapshot of the customer experience can give greater insight as to areas of strength and weakness. Couple the data from this baseline study with the results of your employee & customer feedback.
  • Keep staff accountable. Once you have done the above steps, it’s time to lay out a plan to make improvements, renew training initiatives if needed, and then create a consistent measurement system. Mystery shopping is just one way this can be done; consider quality control monitoring of your call center, manager spot checks, or even spot check evaluations to collect objective data about the customer experience. Analytical reports can be used to continually monitor and gauge performance across staff, locations, or geographies. Use this data in performance reviews, training sessions, and incentive programs for maximum effectiveness.

For the Connecticut DMV, it will take some time before the benefits of the sweeping changes will be seen. However, this new Commissioner is doing things right, and it will pay off in the long run.

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No Survey For You!

 

I’m a fan of customer feedback surveys – when done correctly, companies can gain some very valuable feedback. Does your company have consistently glowing feedback, with little to no negativity? Before you pat yourself on the back, make sure the way customers are being invited to take the survey are truly collecting information that is not skewed in any way.

 

Below are a few real life examples that have surprised me to see, causing me to wonder what the data collection looks like on the back end.

 

1. “No survey for you!” – I was recently waiting in line to complete a transaction. I overheard the employee ask a guest several people ahead of me how they would rate his service. She replied, “good” and he asked for a number between one and ten, with ten being the highest. Awkward, right?

 

She says “I guess a ten. It was good” and I watched him print the receipt, circling the QR code at the bottom of the survey. He then encouraged her to take the survey and share her rating there.

 

Being in the industry I am, I was thankful that I had customers ahead of me to watch what happens next. The next three customers were asked the same question, and the process repeated – receipt, QR code circled, mentioned the survey.

 

The woman in front of me was having a bad day, and was not happy with the wait. When it came time to answer the question, she shared her displeasure with the wait and that there was not more help. He asked her to clarify with a number and she said, “Maybe a 4 or 5.”

 

Can you guess what happened next?

 

The employee printed the receipt, handed it to her, and wished her a good day. No circling on the receipt, no mention of the survey. I’m sure the QR code was there, but it wasn’t highlighted or mentioned in any way, maybe in hopes that this customer wouldn’t take it.

 

2. “I really need a raise” – another example is similar to the one above. While making a purchase at a retail store, the cashier ends the transaction by asking if I had a good experience. She then asks me to complete a survey and rate her high because the company is looking at the results and will be basing raises for the new year on the results. She writes her name on the receipt and asks me to give her a good review because “she really could use the extra money.”

 

3. “Please don’t tell me how I feel, or stretch the truth” – One cashier ended the transaction by circling the URL at the bottom of the receipt, explaining that if I give the company a 9 or 10 rating, I will entered into a monetary drawing.

 

Having shopped at this store for a long time, I know they’ve had the monetary drawing for a while now; adding the “rate us high and you’ll be entered” send a couple of wrong messages. One, they only want the high ratings, and two, the only way you could be entered is to give a high rating. So what if I give them a 5? Do they throw out my response? Or do they keep it but I don’t get a chance to win?

 

The best way to get the most accurate feedback is to make sure employees are encouraging customers to take the survey during each and every transaction. It’s good, in theory, to tie incentives to the results, but be careful of how that translates with your staff. As an additional measure, incorporate this type of information into your performance reviews or mystery shopping program – incorporate a question that asks if the employee mentioned the feedback survey, and if so, if it was handled objectively.

 

Feedback is great when collected correctly; make sure your invitations come with no strings attached!

 

 

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Bonuses Based on Social Media Data?

 

While many companies are realizing the benefit of monitoring social media sites for feedback about their company, it looks like the hospitality industry may be moving one step beyond that – including social media data left by consumers in employee bonus and incentive programs.

 

For the hospitality industry, this may be a bit easier to do thanks to popular consumer review sites, such as TripAdivsor and Yelp. However, by using a strong social media monitoring tool, it’s easy to find mentions of your brand, employees, or company on a regular basis.

 

In this article, Sean Mullin from the Noble House Hotels & Resorts, shares that social media is factored in when deciding employee bonuses. He went on to say that “We know the average rating of our social media sites. Then, we establish goals for the following year. Managers are incentivized to beat that score. We want to make sure all of our managers are paying attention to it.”

 

If an hourly employee is mentioned by name online as part of a consumer review, or a consumer talking within social media sites about their experience at one of the hotels, Mr. Mullin shared that they are given a monetary reward, typically $10 or $20, as recognition for positive feedback about their service.

 

The company still utilizes more traditional forms of customer feedback, such as feedback surveys and comment cards, but they have realized the power of social media as a feedback tool. Generally, people are more free and honest with their thoughts and opinions when talking with friends on Facebook, for example, than they may be answering questions about their experience for the company itself.

 

This article is telling in that we are finally seeing the shift in businesses’ thinking of social media. Up until now, it’s been more about engaging and getting your message out; with the realization that there is a good base of data out there that is easily obtainable, I anticipate more and more companies to use social media monitoring to gather customer feedback in the coming year.

 

 

 

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