Over many years of gaining in-depth customer feedback for clients, Mayfield Consulting has noticed that often what our client tells us is not what their customers tell us.
In this series, we share with you some of the Darndest Things that Customers say. Comments that were not expected. Comments that, left unsaid, would have been detrimental to their business. Comments that prove how important it is to gain customer feedback during due diligence or before sales and marketing planning.
1. Shift Your Focus
Our client, a commercial plant design and maintenance company, told us that quality plant design was the most important customer decision factor in selecting a supplier. Customer interviews revealed only 15% of customers surveyed mentioned design, while 50% indicated responsiveness as the most important decision factor. Customers said:- “Responsiveness…number one…important if you have something that you want to change or fix.”
- “Our decisions change very quickly. This is the reason we chose xxx in this case because she was local, in town and always available.”
- “Reaction time, quick to get things set up and going.”
- Uncover Hidden Sales Opportunities
Mayfield’s customer interviews frequently reveal sales opportunities. Customers of a pond maintenance company indicated:
- They use a competitor at two other locations and said if our client “drops the price…they can get all three jobs.”
- “We have eight other properties that need the service but haven’t considered <our client> since they can be a little more expensive than others.”
- Resolve Issues
Sometimes you learn about problems that seem obvious but may not be. An equipment supplier that moved its parts depot, discovered there were too many steps in the new system. 
- “Systems are too complicated for ordering parts since they added a step. Some parts come from western America…We order the parts, and the parts go all across the country and then they come back.”
Many customer issues have an easy fix…if you know about the problem. Listening to what your customers tell you is critical. Conducting regular in-depth customer interviews is an effective way to hear concerns before they become issues.
Let us know if we can help.
