A few months ago, I showed you how Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk responds to online feedback from his customers.

I explained how Musk has perfected the art of responding to online criticism from customers, and why you should copy his methods.

Today, I want to show you another tactic you can pilfer from Musk’s bag of tricks.

First, let’s lay the framework…

We often assume what our customers think about us. I kind of went into this the other day in my post about your business’s blind spots that infuriate customers. I also gave you solutions on how to fix some of these issues.

There is, however, a solution I didn’t mention. And it’s an oh-so-simple way to improve your customers’ experience.

What’s this solution?

Do you REALLY want to know?

Are you sure you’re ready for this?

Okay…

If you want to know what customers REALLY think of you—and how you can improve their experiences—JUST FREAKING ASK THEM.

I don’t mean those feedback cards some companies hand out at the end of the project, either. Being rated on a scale of 1 to 5 by a customer doesn’t give you specific detail about what you are or are not doing.

I’m talking about a true back-and-forth dialog about your performance, products, service, and so on.

As in, an actual conversation with the customer about what they liked about your company… and what could have made their experience even better.

This is what Elon Musk did a few months ago on Twitter. Here’s a look…

Musk asking for feedback on Twitter:

Even a guy as smart as Musk can’t always see where his company needs to improve; he sometimes needs an objective set of eyes. So he took to Twitter and directly asked his customers for ways to improve Tesla.

Since Musk has 20 million Twitter followers, he naturally got a ton of responses—many of which were for potential issues he never even thought of. He basically created a focus group filled with the consumers who matter most to his company—HIS TARGET CUSTOMER.

By asking his customers for feedback, Musk is better able to gauge what his customers want and take his company in the proper direction (i.e., the one that will give him happier customers and more money).

The second part of asking customers for feedback is to RESPOND to them. Musk took the time to do this personally for hours on end.

Here’s a look…

Musk responding to specific customer feedback:

A list of Musk’s responses:

Besides being the polite thing to do, responding to customer feedback YOU solicited shows you actually care about what they say.

This makes your customers feel important, which creates good will between you and them.

And customers who feel appreciated? They are more likely to reward you with repeat business, referrals, and glowing online reviews.

So if you want to eliminate the blind spots in your company WHILE building stronger customer rapport, reach out to past customers (via phone, email, etc.) and have a conversation with them.

Say, “I’m glad you enjoyed working with us. I’d like to know your honest opinion of how we can further improve. We’re looking for candid feedback—don’t worry, you won’t hurt our feelings!”

The answers you get may surprise you… and so will the boost to your reputation.

-Rich

P.S. If you’re not as in-tune to the online-feedback process as someone like Elon Musk, don’t worry.

MYM’s Online Reputation Management builds, monitors, and controls your online reputation FOR you. You’ll accumulate tons of great online reviews, while having the chance to intercept and fix any negative customer reviews before they get posted online for the world to see.

Go here for the details: https://mymonline.com/working-with-mym/services/online-reputation-management

© 2018, Rich Harshaw. All rights reserved.