Even tokens have a story to tell
Identifying recurring Customer Needs
As a small business, it can be hard to keep track of everything going on in your operation.
You’ve got a lot to do and not a lot of help doing it. When you’re all wrapped up in the day-to-day logistics of running your business, you might miss parts of the bigger picture, and who could blame you? With everything else you need to keep track of, it can be tempting to let tasks like collecting data and looking into analytics fall by the wayside.
Even if you’re a one-person show, just watching out for trends can be incredibly helpful. These days, pretty much anything can be tracked, quantified, and analyzed, which creates endless opportunities for businesses to improve operations. If you take the time to look into it, data on trends can almost always make your work easier and your business run more smoothly.
One of the easiest ways to start collecting data about your business is through customer feedback.
At OwnerListens, we track all sorts of metrics on the messages that come through our IM platform. Here’s a great example of a trend we noticed in messages for one of our most active owners, the owner of a Southern California car wash chain. This is a typical conversation initiated recently at one of the car wash locations, using the OwnerListens platform:
Customer: “Hi I just bought an ultimate car wash and I did not receive a dollar bonus token”
Owner: “It [be]comes available when the current car getting washed in front of you exits the wash bay!”
Customer: “Ok thanks. I will wait for it then.”
Owner: “100% you’ll get it- it’s never failed yet!”
A look further back in our database shows that this customer isn’t the only one who’s had this problem: there are over 20 messages in the past few months alone from others regarding missing tokens. Each time, thanks to OwnerListens, the owner or one of his employees has been able to help the customer, but this problem is clearly a trend that can and should be addressed. An effective solution could be as simple as putting a sign out on the payment machine explaining when the token becomes available.
Texting concerned customers is not only a convenient and quick fix, but can be key to solving the underlying problem permanently
Instant messaging frees up time for employees to do other things and can also help drive more business. But that’s only half the story. Trends like the feedback pattern identified above can be key to unlocking your business’s potential, and OwnerListens can help you spot them. Set aside a few minutes each month to sort through your messages on our dashboard and think about why your customers might be complaining, not only what they’re complaining about. You may start to notice common themes that will lead you to pain points you can eliminate or improve upon. Your business and your customers will thank you.
Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing a completely revamped reporting tool that will help owners identify recurring issues and benchmark their performance. Claim your business today to lock in our current pricing.
OwnerListens wants to help businesses stay in touch with their customers. Our IM channels, routing, and backend allow you to communicate effortlessly using the method modern consumers prefer. Increase conversion and retention: set up your unique virtual number today!