The customer perception is crucial in being and becoming successful in your customer experience strategy. To find out ‘where and when’ to exceed customers’ expectations you want to know at least ‘what’ is important to your customers and… ‘why’. Different methodologies can be used, and combined, to create these insights.
Having a good conversation with your customers is definitely one of them! Think of interviews for example. But do not underestimate a good account management conversation to get more insights too! Research or not, please make sure that you do not ask your customers ‘why’. Do you want to know ‘why’?
Why is directly asking ‘why’ a question to be careful with?
Although the ‘why’-question is considered as a good question to ask, since it is an open question, you might want to think twice asking it. If you want to create a better understanding about your customer(s), and what drives them, think of the following situation:
You are being called by a sales agent at a company you are doing business with/have done business with. The sales agent starts with an informal chat, but clearly wants to get a sense if you would like to do business with that company in the coming period. You are in doubt, because the quality is good, but you feel that the company misses out on some things. Your answer to the agent; I am not sure yet at this moment, I just want to have a full overview for myself first before saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Agent: “OK, I understand, can you tell me WHY you are doubting?”-
At that point it is a very confronting question, next to the fact that the customer – or any person you ask a ‘why’-question – will directly start to think of arguments to DEFEND HIMSELF. He will come up with rational arguments, while decisions are emotionally made by approximately 80%. Often you see that such a conversation ends up in some sort of battle of arguments in which (both) parties might get irritated.
Think of yourself being a customer… what do you think, and how do you feel, when you are asked to (ongoing) come up with arguments? Or you need to repeat them since apparently your arguments are not (strong) enough? Does that strengthen your positive view of that company you are doing business with? Wouldn’t you prefer that a person is genuinely interested in your story too, even it is just a little?
Asking ‘why’ will not provide the answers you are looking for
If 80% of the decisions are emotionally driven, you want to understand that 80%, right? Where is the decision of the customers based on? What drives the decision? Basically you are interested in ‘the meaning’ of doing business with you, and how it can benefit your customer. The why-question will give you the argument. But…
“It is not the argument that counts. What does count is what is driving your customer.”
If you have genuine attention, and you are truly interested in what makes your customer tick… Let the customer tell you the story, instead of you telling the customer why he should be doing business with you. Stimulate him to provide answers you are looking for with the questions that show that interest and attention. Starting with a ‘how’ question usually gets the story started. For example to start with: “You have been doing business with us <period>, can you tell me more about how you experienced us?” Followed by “What were your thoughts at the moment you <particular moment you want deeper insights on>. Since here you get a glimpse of where the customer emotionally went through, this also triggers to emphasize with him. You can show your understanding by reflecting the actual emotion “I can understand that it irritates you” or “that would make me happy too”.
Empathy will consequently help to create the connection in that social interaction with the customer. You will get a sense of the customer personal values, beliefs, and memories, which will eventually reflect in their behavior. Indirectly, you will get insights in ‘why’, but in this manner you show respect and understanding for the relationship. Next to that, you might be able to connect this to the USP or product/service benefits. And, on the same time this supports strengthening the customer relationship, since a customer is not doing business with a company… he is doing business with you.
“There is no more B2C or B2B, there is H2H; human to human.” – Bryan Kramer
Find answers to ‘why’, not directly asking ‘why’
Have genuine attention for, and interest in, your customer. Without this it will be hard to get what you are looking for. Let your customer tell you his story within his context – and the thoughts he is having – while doing business with you, or others. Ask ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘when’, to truly understand the ‘why’ of doing business with you.