Here are five questions every business should be asking customers they hope to get to know better:
1) “How are we doing?” and “Why?”
A simple enough question, right? The answer to this question can reveal so much! Do your customers like working with you? Are they happy, frustrated or satisfied? Don’t stop with this question. No matter the answer, it must be followed-up with the question “Why?”.
“Fine”, “Great”, “Terrible” … these answers are only the beginning. If you hope to replicate the “great” job, avoid being viewed as “terrible”, or understand what “fine” actually means you’ll need to dig deeper. The answer to your “why” question will help you uncover why each customer answered the way they did.
2) “What could we do better?”
You might be doing “great” but there’s always room for improvement. Understanding what your customer really needs doesn’t’ have to be a guessing game. Your customer can reveal exactly what you could be doing to improve their experience.
3) “What changes can we make to keep you as a loyal customer?”
This is a great question to ask customers who may be thinking of leaving. Ask this question to get insight into what needs you’re not meeting. Now you have an opportunity to make necessary changes to keep the customer, and potentially many more you didn’t even know where unhappy. Customer loyalty matters, here are five great tips to help create customer loyalty for your business.
4) “What would you think about….?”
When considering making a change, like adding features, ask your customers for their input. Their answer could reveal issues you never considered, provide insight into whether or not this change will be welcomed with open arms and let your customers know you care about their opinions.
5) “What else should we be asking?”
Are you even asking your customers the right questions? Did you know 96% of unhappy customers won’t complain, but they will tell 15 friends! If customers wont complain when unhappy, you can bet they won’t approach you with answers to questions you haven’t asked. Customers know themselves better than you do. Ask them what questions they think your business should be asking!
Knowing customers is imperative to every business. Pay attention to customer habits, ask lots of questions and implement changes based on what you’ve uncovered. This should be an ongoing effort.
How well do you know your customers? We would love to hear how you get to know your customers so tell us in the comments below!
Originally published Oct 23, 2015, updated Dec 30, 2022
