BUILDING BLOCK 3: CUSTOMER FEEDBACK & IMPROVEMENT

This is at the heart of operational excellence, where the rubber meets the road. It’s where feedback gets addressed, where coaching and improvements get made, and where ideas become new products and services.

The engine has three parts.  The original Bain & Co. NPS Framework calls these areas the Inner-Loop, Huddle, and Outer-Loop.

INNER LOOP: This is where customer feedback gets embedded into the day-to-day frontline operations. The teams learn from their interactions with customers and fix issues that come along while learning from those experiences to improve the next interaction or experience. Here, the closed-loop process is an integral part of the process to ensure that you hear from customers and diagnose issues that require attention and action. 

• CLOSE THE LOOP: A critical action of every successful system is closing the loop with your customers. This occurs when your employees who are responsible with interfacing with the customer communicate the process, setting the right expectations around bringing an issue or potential issue to conclusion.

HUDDLE: Small teams meets regularly to share their experiences and how they handle customer interactions, both positive and negative, and ultimately learn from each other. It is a great way to align the commitment and direction of the team.

OUTER LOOP: This comes into effect when you are facing major challenges and require attention from management to invest in new or enhanced capabilities and experiences. This is where a governing or steering committee oversees the operation. An important part of the process is digging into the “why” of a problem to determine if it’s chronic or systemic. 

• GOVERNING BODY: Is a cross-functional team responsible for gathering feedback from customers, conducting third-party market research, and prioritizing strategic projects and initiatives.

Successful execution requires setting up a CX operation system that brings customer feedback into the decision-making process. Done correctly, this allows you to adapt and improve the CX strategy to keep up with the ever-changing demands of the customers and market you serve.

You want to implement the NPS System with the same rigor as you do your most critical operations—architect quality into CX from start to finish and as an end-to-end process.

Using customer feedback in the NPS System is critical to transparency, a valuable practice for building trust. Every business has problems, but it’s how you address them that sets you apart. As your NPS practice continues to mature, look for ongoing improvements to the quality and usefulness of your products and services, as well as create new experiences that differentiate your brand. Your goal is to create a true business partnership over the long term with your customers and employees.

Here you will see the outcome of the emphasis on a culture that is built completely around your customers. Teams involved in decisions to improve CX must fully understand the “why” behind actions that must be taken. Those teams often become advocates inside your organization to help other parts of the organization make customer-centered decisions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
 

1. Gathering and improving on customer feedback is an ongoing, long-term practice. 
2. Teams can learn and improve from their shared experiences and build a sense of transparency and a customer-centric culture. 
3. Building a structure supported by the leadership’s commitment to driving improvements is the essence of a successful NPS System.