Do individual customer reviews matter? Do they help improve the service experience? Is it possible to go from the particularity of the experience of an isolated client to the generality of the service that all clients receive? Is it worth taking the time of a manager to get to know the opinions of her clients in a personal and direct way?
A few days ago, a debate broke out in a group of hotel managers, around the question "Do you think the hotel manager should have contact with customers?" It seemed like a good opportunity to analyze the importance of customer opinions, albeit in isolation, as a tool to improve the service experience of all customers, even those who have not had the same difficulty or satisfaction.
Is it possible to go from the particularity of the experience of an isolated client to the generality of the service that all clients receive?
I think that from the answer to this question we can deduce if it is worth it for the hotel manager (or for a manager of any activity) to get involved and dedicate time to have these personal contacts with clients.
Instead of wasting time customer by customer, wouldn't it be better to look at a representative statistic of their opinions? Designing a good survey, which conveys the most relevant aspects of customer satisfaction, isn't it more efficient and productive?
I have agreed with Miguel, one of the participants in that debate, in the sense that the presence of the director should not be necessary for the client. If each employee performs their work with excellence, the customer will receive everything they need and expect.
The fact of speaking personally with the director, perhaps could be a note of color in the experience of that client, one more aspect that pleases him and shows the commitment of the management with his satisfaction.
However, I consider that this contact is very important for the director.
Two methods, different and complementary, to know the opinions of the clients
Managers can know customer satisfaction in an indirect, even scientific, way when they access the indicators that the surveys show, as I mentioned before.
On the other hand, personal contact with a client is a way of being able to capture the real experience they live (or, at least, get closer). Clients find it difficult to put an experience down on paper, and survey questions are rarely accurate in capturing the essence of what they experienced.
It is information of a different nature, but which excellently complements the cold statistical indicators.
These personal contacts will give the director the temperature of the service. They are small details, but that you can capture in all their magnitude, being able to approach a real client, who is in the middle of that service experience.
The client, in a personal contact, is able to convey with his words, his gestures and his tone of voice, the emphasis of what he likes or dislikes about the service, and with total spontaneity, without restricting himself to the categories in which you should pigeonhole that experience when you answer a structured survey.
And, as a result, you will have an isolated opinion, which surely cannot be taken as representative of your entire market, but which does express relevant aspects that you cannot ignore.
Jeannie Walters, CEO of 360Connect, says: “It always amazes me when organization leaders believe that little things don't matter. They say things like: 'It's just a comment' or 'We don't pay attention to anecdotes'. It's okay to use data and big results to guide big decisions, but it's not okay to ignore the little things. ”
In your organization, do they pay attention to each opinion of your customers, or do they consider them 'anecdotes' that are not worth considering in isolation?
Do managers frequently approach customers, to take the temperature of the service in a direct and spontaneous way, or do they manage the service from the security of their offices?
