The ability to listen is a seriously underrated quality and it’s a skill that not all businesses have mastered. Despite the many channels, tools, and technology available to enable us to really hear what our customers are telling us, we still often just skim the surface.

The ability to listen can be the catalyst for cultivating satisfied and loyal customers or for creating a level of frustration that can only be relieved by customers walking away.

A headshot of Katie Stabler

Katie Stabler

So why, when listening to our customers is so incredibly invaluable, do organizations still fall short?

Here, Katie Stabler explores some of the lesser-discussed reasons that a business might be unable to hear what its customers have to say.

The 2023 UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) was published a few weeks ago and showed the lowest score since 2015, with such a sharp drop in satisfaction, the likes of which have not been seen since 2008. As a customer, there's nothing more frustrating than receiving subpar service or experiencing a product that doesn't meet your expectations. As a business, low customer satisfaction leads to negative reviews, increased cost to serve, lost customers and a loss of customer wallet share (CWS). That's why the results of the 2023 UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) are so concerning.

This gloomy news is of course, disappointing, but it's also an opportunity for businesses to learn and re-evaluate their customer service strategies and make improvements.

Why you should reduce The Power Of The Few to grow The Influence Of The Many

You might read this list aghast, thinking I would never do that to a customer, but I'd implore you to take a close hard look at your business practice and consider if that's true. Because as harsh as these realities sound, they are very common problems to occur.

October sees the end of British Summertime and welcomes the ghoulish fun of Halloween, but did you also know that October features Global Customer Experience Day? It does, October 4th!

So, what better time than now, to refocus our thoughts as to exactly why we should all care about Customer Experience? I’m not going to talk about the huge, (should be) obvious benefits such as customer retention and customer lifetime value (much), instead, I’m going to share some of the lesser-known benefits that a great Customer Experience creates. But first, let’s set the scene…

Imagine a world where EVERYTHING your customers say is accessible to you.

Really think about that for a moment.

Every time an agent hears “thank you so much, you’ve been amazing”, or “wow that’s great, I didn’t realise I could do that online” or even, “it’s about time, this is the third time I’ve tried to get through!” (I didn’t say it would be all positive), you could hear it too.

How amazing would that be?!?!

Close your eyes and think about the last time you transacted with a small business, an independent hustle or a new startup. Did you open your delivery to find a personalised thank you note? Was the last email you read from them quirky, interesting, or fun?

Did the customer service person you spoke to take the time to listen, understand your needs and talk to you like a friend?

Are you smiling?

That’s the startup magic, the special something that small businesses have, that fresh-faced independent’s ooze. It’s personality and care which creates an impactful customer experience.

Customer Experience has been a hot topic for years (and rightly so), yet despite us knowing how valuable an expertly designed, delivered and cultivated Customer Experience is, so few companies weave the assurance of that experience delivery into their regular practice. 93% of customers are likely to make a repeat purchase with a company that offers excellent customer service (HubSpot), but how do we know if we are delivering excellent customer service? It’s not by ticking a box when an agent completes a data protection check or when they shared the T&C’s (despite how important that may be, that isn’t why a customer would refer you to a friend!).

I'm thrilled to be judging for Awards International for the third time, this time for the UK Business Awards.

I recently joined Call Centre Helper to talk about how to manage seasonal peaks - all businesses experience fluctuations in demand - here are three tips to prepare you for when the tide hits.

Want to know how being on Masterchef influenced my CX consultancy business? 👩🏼‍🍳📋

Well, check out my episode of the CX Passport with the wonderful host, Rick Denton.

We talk about all sorts including what a CX leader needs to be successful, practising CX in challenging industries, travelling the USA, Masterchef and jam sandwiches 🥪!

It’s been a strange year indeed. The ongoing impact of the pandemic has left businesses and customers alike in unfamiliar and uncertain circumstances. But hope is not lost; there is opportunity amongst all of this uncertainty.

Performance management is without question, an important aspect of any business. ⁠⠀

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Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) can be an amazing tool in your performance management toolbox, they (as the name suggests) give you an indication as to how successfully you are performing towards your organisational goals and objectives. They drive your business.⁠⠀

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But what if they are driving you in the wrong direction? What if they are being ignored? What if you are measuring the wrong things?⁠⠀

I'm the kind of customer who recognises a good experience when it happens, I'll happily pay more for it, I revel in it, I share the experience on social media, I recommend the company to my friends and I’ll likely become a bit of a brand loyalist.

Like many, I love supporting local businesses and this week my first feature article went live in Cheshire Life magazine!Not local to cheshire? Don't worry! These 4 tips to business regeneration will apply to your business no matter where in the world you are

I woke up on Thursday this week to the news that I am listed as one of the top 150 Global CX Thought Leaders. Mind blown!

www.surveysensum.com featured my name amongst some of the customer experience greats, including Clare Muscutt, Ian Golding, Annette Franz and Colin Shaw (I’ve been listening to Colins podcast for years!). I am honoured, privileged and beyond thrilled to be sitting alongside these legends.

Have you ever experienced a truly terrible customer experience and felt like the organisation simply didn’t care? If your answer is yes, the likelihood is that you didn’t remain their customer for long!

But what if they could have turned it around? What if they could have changed your rubbish experience into an EPIC experience?

It's been a tough start to 2020, but as the world starts to regain some form of normality and our much-missed businesses begin to emerge out of a forced hibernation, the prospect of picking up where we left of is enticing!

If only it were that straight forward. The truth is, our environment, our social ability and our economic circumstances have altered so much that our customers are no longer the customers we once knew, their needs, their wants and their expectations have changed.

Exciting book news!