Customer Care: How are you handling it?

It is so easy to start a company based on what you know how to do. I can fix cars, so voila, I start a garage. Well, what happens when the most important people involved in your business don't have a channel to fully communicate their entire experience to you? Believe, I know how hard feedback is, but let me tell you, it is the most important piece of information you could ever hear. Especially from those around you that are seemingly eager to tell you about how poorly you've handled something. And they are usually right on. Sure there is some emotional charge there that is theirs to own and be with, the actual cold hard data, that stff is priceless for those business owners who really do want to serve their customers. So how are you handling it? This seems like a big question, but the truth is yo probably already know a portion of what is going on in your business. Things like, who is the least happy, who will never return as a customer, maybe even who were your best successes, but if you are really lucky, you know about the really bad deals you've made. The customers that you have really done wrong. But it doesn't stop there. It is easy to believe that our customers are the only beneficiary of customer care, but there is another group in there that is equally as important; our employees. They are the ones, if you have been successful enough to have them, who are actually selling you to your customers. They control your namesake and what your customers believe and tell others about you. It is critical that they have a place to speak too. So where do you start? The first thing is go ahead and review your brain for all of those comments you've been hearing for months, but have made up that there is nothing you can do, or they will just get over it, or who do they think they are. You may have your own version, but you know what they are. These are the low hanging fruit. You already know about these. Let's address them immediately. They have been going on for a while now and some of them are likely starting to fester, if they have not already been the cause of the some customers leaving and employees quitting. Next, let's be really intentional and let everyone know that you are now taking feedback and to please let you know if there is anything that they need to tell you. Assure them that they will not be fired for simply telling you. Second, you should start interviewing your employees again, be clear about stuff that you do know, but in a way that owns it (like you know Bob told you that Sarah thinks you hate her, but tell Sarah that you know that you haven't been the nicest boss and you want to work through it and be better). This will make it safe for those who do have something to say. Again, you should be tapping your own memory on this as you likely know what certain employees or customers will say about you. We want to believe that we don't know, but we have an idea. If they tell you things are great, consider that you haven't owned enough of it yet and made it safe for them. Attempt to go deeper if possible. Otherwise, have them review and sign a survey/review of the details of your discussion to promote honesty and accountability in future interactions. This may take a while depending on how many clients (who are actually willing to participate) and employees, but once you have at least gotten through this process once, then you will have a better idea for next time. Rinse and repeat.