Wednesday, March 4. 2009Customer Feedback - The Most Valuable Source Of Company Improvement?John Linton Based on a suggestion from our Exetel Forum ‘Supervisor’ we implemented a ‘suggestion box’ in the User Facilities on Monday. Previously, for over five years, we had relied on a section of our Forum to ask for suggestions as to how we could improve our services and that has been very successful in getting direct customer feedback which has resulted in us implementing over 500 user suggestions that have made every aspect of Exetel’s processes and services better. Over the past 18 months I have also used this blog as a source of new ideas and suggestions and that input has made Exetel a better and stronger company. Virtually the whole of our User Facilities has been developed over the years from customer suggestions and we have even used customer provided code to provide a key function. 'Company Suggestion Boxes' are hardly a new concept - they've been around since I first entered the work force (just after the fall of Rome) and obviously were around for a long time before that. Along with employee suggestion programs they have been of immense value to a huge number of commercial and other enterprises probably since the dawn of human communication. There is only one proviso for the success of such a mechanism as far as I can see and that is that the suggestion has to reach a person who has the authority to 'make it happen' quickly and that the suggestor must receive fast feedback on the result of their suggestion. In the less than 48 hours since we have instituted the ‘suggestion box’ we have received over 50 'suggestions', 7 of which we have already implemented or put into the process of implementing. There were some suggestions that we couldn't implement and we advised the suggestors by email of our inability to do that very quickly. Using the forum and this blog we have been averaging two - three implementable suggestions a week that we could actually implement in the short term so, even allowing for the 'novelty factor', perhaps Gillian's suggestion box idea will accelerate the development/refinement of Exetel more quickly than in the past. The suggestions, at least currently, go directly,and only, to Exetel's directors who either pass on the suggestion to the appropriate person within Exetel to implement or respond to the 'suggestor' explaining why it can't be implemented. Currenty our directors continue to work 'at the coal face' of our business and are completely involved in the minutiae of the operations of the company so are able to immediately determine if the suggestion can be implemented or not and can act with the authority that is required to get it implemented in the fastest possible time. So I look forward to an increased rate of improvements to every aspect of Exetel's operations flowing from an increase in suggestions from customers. One thing that struck me when I reflected on the suggestions I had approved and actioned since midday on Monday was why I hadn't thought of the many very sensible ideas that were being presented or why I had failed to spot the weaknesses, or more obviously errors, that were being pointed out. I have no answer for that question but I found it more than a little worrying that I hadn't been aware of things that needed attention. I then cheered up and was very thankful that the recommendation to set up a customer suggestion box had been made and that a 'gap' in our management processes had been 'plugged'. There is a problem though. Annette commented as I was replying to a suggestion quite late last night: "and how long do you think you will be able to spend the time reading and replying to these suggestions?" It does take time which is a very scarce commodity in our very busy days and it does take some thinking about. We'll see how it goes but, from my direct observation on two past occasions, I've seen the value of employee suggestion programs destroyed by long delays in processing and acknowledging suggestions and the lack of involvement of the company's key management in reviewing and acting on the suggestions. Having said that, I do recognise that if the volume of suggestions settles down to a significant daily number it will need to be addressed. I suppose that just means the Directors of Exetel will need to manage their time more productively. Trackbacks
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A possible suggestion then - perhaps maintain a list of currently unachievable improvements that have been previously suggested to cut down on the number that need replying to?
Comments (2)
My unshakable upbringing requires replying to someone who is offering you assistance.
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If you have a list of current suggestions, Exetel's response, and perhaps a timeframe for implementation, people should read through the list, which will stop the same emails being sent multiple times.
Then again, such a list is helpful to competitors as well. Comment (1)
I think Chris was suggesting that if you listed the 'discarded suggestions' it would potentially stop people making the same suggestion again thus reducing the number of emails received and requiring reply.
Not suggesting you stop replying individually. Comment (1)
Of course - that's a basic premise to follow.
Not quite my suggestion though - more like an FAQ-style page that would allow people to see if their suggestion has already been considered. It would only work if the list was public of course. Comments (2)
I think that if a similar suggestion has been effectively addressed in the past, then no one will need to make that suggestion any more anyway - so the issue of duplicate suggestions fixes itself.
Comment (1)
John,
I could not see the suggestion Box in my HSPA user facilities. Also the HSPA - change plans option is not available in the user facilities. Most people I refer to Exetel 3G Wireless broadband have not ever heard the term "HSPA" and inevitably they ring me back saying they cant find Wireless broadband plans on the Exetel Site. Maybe the term 'Wireless Broadband' should be more noticeable on HSPA Plans. Comment (1)
many customers suggested, due to the GFC that you introduce plans with lower prices and drop the free after hours downloads as well as all those other extras.
Its a reasonable request, how about it? Comment (1)
If the GFC prompts Exetel's suppliers to reduce their prices to Exetel then, as usual, Exetl will pass on the reductions to its customers.
I have seen no sign of that happening to date. Comments (5)
Keeping the suggestions to a sensible list is difficult. On a project I was on had suggestions requested a number of years ago, but were at a low priority that they just never got done.
In our company (software development), we have an application that the customers use to make requests for new features and bug fixes. These then all go into one big list for each project. The list can be prioritised by both the customer, and by our project leaders. That way any new suggestions just go into the list, are given a priority based on a 5 minute look at the effort required. Because of the transparency of the process, the customers quickly evolve their thinking. This keeps a lid on the number of active requests (but not bug fixes) because they see there are more important things on there. They still add the not so important features, but just as a 'nice to have' sort of priority. You would have to have it slightly different in that it's difficult to allow multiple customers to priorities features for a single project. Democracy is a solution, not a good one though heh. But the feature list means that the developers (me) are never without work I hope you continue the suggestion box but as Annette points out, keep a lid on the amount of time spent. As a laugh, when the suggestion inbox becomes too big you could have a message 'sorry there are too many suggestions right now, only suggestions that suggest how to reduce the number of suggestions will be accepted.' Comment (1)
JL do you also have a top 10 Irritant list, something to work through on the up and coming cold nights. While some can see these as bad, I see them as a "very valuable source for company improvement" and oddly it seems a lot early to get. But I do like the suggestion box you never know what you might get. A Diamond in the rough or an old lolly rapper (SPAM in this age).
Comment (1)
had it not been for the fact that I read the blog each day I wouldn't have even known about the suggestion box, I have a usage meter in my toolbar that keeps track of my usage and the exeSMS program for sending messages so I hardly ever have to login to the members section at all.
I think it's a good idea and it will probably get more interest as people start to notice it's there Comments (2)
If you had been subscribed to the Exetel Monthly Newsletter (and read it )you would have learnt about the Suggestion Box on Monday .
Comment (1)
Actually I am, and I did, but I stopped reading at the section on flora and fauna thinking that was the end of the newsletter, I had only skimmed through there as everything else in the list I already knew about through announcements in the forum and thought the human interest story at the end was the end (sounds like the way they finish the news)
Anyway, my mistake I think the suggestion box was a great suggestion Comments (2)
A suggestion ....
Is it possible that whfc could be used as a desktop application for sending faxes via Exetel? (When sending faxes using oztell a few years ago - both email to fax and a whfc client was available with them). Comment (1)
Will you be adding a suggestion box to the HSPA members site?
If not, here are a couple of things that I think needs to be addressed. On trying to log a fault ticket from the HSPA site, you are taken to the residential faults page which has no facility to enter HSPA details. Also, on calling Exetel, there is also no facility to enter HSPA details either. As I remember, if you enter your HSPA number it is not recognised and the call goes nowhere. Thanks for your time. Comment (1)
I've asked the manager - support to reply to you and get the issues addressed.
Comments (5)
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