A recent article on CustomerThink explains how many companies view requesting customer feedback as a weakness. However, by asking questions you can optimize the results of your CX experience and save money because, sometimes what WE think should improve the customer experience isn’t what the customer wants.

If you don’t consult with customers about what THEY think is wrong with the experience, then craft solutions to solve those issues, you can end up like a fortune teller, attempting to read the minds of your customers without really having a clue.

On top of that, customer experience is an ever-evolving thing. You could create the best customer experience in the world and flourish from it. But, if you just maintain the status-quo, you may soon find that your customer experience is outdated – not unlike that laptop or iPhone which is succeeded by the “next best thing.” Customer experience is dynamic and should be a continuous initiative.

When developing any CX initiative, keep in mind that the only way to truly know issues of importance to your customers is to ask them. Find out what they want improved or how their experience is negatively impacted by asking them directly!

However, you won’t get all the data just by asking your customers, because they don’t always respond honestly -- perhaps they are too polite, afraid to offend anyone. So, you also need to ask your employees. I promise you this is far from a weakness, but rather a show of strength, leadership and caring.

By asking questions of your customers and employees your dealership can show that it cares about them; that you are open to suggestions, ideas and criticism. Nobody thinks anyone is perfect, I guarantee you that. The person who thinks they are perfect is the one that probably isn’t.

Take the time to be inquisitive. Never stop asking questions of both your customers and employees. Then adapt, change processes or implement new ones and you will see that everyone works better together to win the game.