Customer Service Self Analysis: the "Stop Light" Approach

Management, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service all need to be on the same page when it comes to Customer Satisfaction.

Information needs to be:

• Timely
• Relevant
• Simple
  

No one wants or needs another meaninglessly complex account by account report.

While Customer Satisfaction Studies are essential and yield valuable insights, most managers want near time data on a continuing basis.

Customer Service Self Analysis can be simple if you use the Stop Light Approach. Everyone understands how a Stop Light works. Green means GO, Red means STOP and Yellow means CAUTION (okay, for some of us it means speed up).

So translate a Stop Light into a simple RED/GREEN/YELLOW report.

Use colored DOTS on an Excel spreadsheet to indicate the "Current Account Status". It's very easy to see at a glance the current level of satisfaction for all key accounts.

You can add more to the report, as you deem necessary.

Some suggestions:

• The colored DOT from the LAST report (to indicate any change)
• Current spending level vs. budget
• Comments for ANY Red or Yellow DOTS
• The name of Account , Sales or Management Executive responsible for the account (maybe all three).

While easy to create, the report does require management followup.

What is being done to resolve a Yellow or Red status?

Also be careful not to "kill the messenger." Operate in the best interest of the account, not in finger pointing mode. If anyone thinks there is a problem on an account, the concern should be aired in a positive and receptive atmosphere.

Implement this simple report and you'll find more ways to keep accounts GREEN and DELIGHT CUSTOMERS!