Finding the balance between negative and positive feedback for greater success

Welcome to Success Strategies | June/July 2022

You can’t become discouraged by or focus only on negative feedback surveys. In this edition of Success Strategies, I want to talk about the necessity of having a balance between fixing problems and understanding the strengths of your CX delivery.

We live in a world where we focus much time and energy on the negatives–this process is broken, this delivery was missed, this customer is unhappy about this service, and so on. There is much evidence to show we are wired this way.

In an effective CX program, the focus cannot be exclusively or mostly on the negative side of the service equation. Yes, you can’t ignore the problems and weaknesses in how you serve your customers. When you focus too strongly on the problems customers experience, you wind up with a less-than-effective CX program. Let me illustrate with an example shared by a colleague.

If the focus is mostly on those customers who rate you lower, the organization quickly fixates on these customers, as if they are the ones that matter the most. Those customers with more positive assessments may not receive the care and attention needed. After all, the customers who have more positive experiences tend to return more frequently, spend more money, and refer your business to others. Ensuring a more balanced focus allows you to understand what you need to fix, and, also, what you do well. It is the “do well” part of the equation that can eventually set you apart from others.

As the quote below says, it is easier to improve on weaknesses than strengths. It is through understanding the strengths of your CX delivery that a company can really set itself apart from others. For a more extensive discussion of this topic, check out my latest blog.

Annual Client Conference | Dollars & Sense: What’s Next in CX?
October 19 and 20, 2022, Charlotte, NC

Please mark your calendars for October 19 and 20 for our annual Client Conference to be held here in Charlotte, NC. Our keynote speaker will be Fred Reichheld, creator of the Net Promoter System® and author of Winning on Purpose. For our clients, please visit this page to register. If you are not a client, we have a limited number of seats available. Please contact me for more information.

We wish all our Canadian clients and friends a Happy Canada Day on July 1 and Happy Independence Day to our US clients and friends on July 4.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Please let me know what is working at your company in CX.

“Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.”