Customer Experience Library - Tip #13 Listen to What They DONT Say

Mark O'Brien
Nov 1, 2024
2 min read

It’s extremely common to ask for reviews. I am generally a fan of feedback loops.

Afterall, listening to customers’ needs and addressing their core concerns in an elegant manner is what makes products great. (And fun to deliver!)

However, it’s easy to slip into the trap of positive evidence while neglecting the silent evidence. Today, I’m here to encourage you to listen to what your customers ARE NOT saying. What never comes up in your conversations or on your online reviews?

“This was so easy!”

“Seamless.”

“Delightful.”

“Best part of my day.”

Do you hear these phrases coming from your customers unprompted?

If not, it might be time to reconsider your customer experience approach.

When talking with customers or walking through your service offering, it’s great to identify common questions or concerns. However, it’s also a good practice to consider what they are NOT sharing, and ask WHY? Especially for prospects that don’t choose your service, how can you identify the points of contention they may not feel comfortable bringing up in the moment.

They might not want to share things… that’s their prerogative.

They really don’t have the budget for this item.

Or they are not actually the decision maker.

The don’t like the smell in the store.

Whatever it is – they might not say it.

On a philosophical note, we never want to confuse absence of evidence for evidence of absence.

Meaning, we don’t want to assume that because we can’t observe something, it’s not there.

If we can’t see a challenge in our process, it doesn’t mean the customer isn’t dealing with some internal conflict when considering our offerings.

This is the dance of good business.

Anticipating a need before it is explicitly shared.

This is how you Delight customers and win brand advocates.

Get 1 customer to tell 4 people about their experience – that’s the game.