How do you know what your customers are thinking without asking them? You really don’t. There is nothing more beneficial to a company than the insight of their target consumers. With this knowledge, a company can decide where to focus its ad spend, what new products/services to consider, how to stop wasting money and how to increase revenue and expansion options. One basic way to find this information is to just ask. Customers are often more than happy to fill out a survey for the chance to have their voice heard.
A bakery owner was having problems with stagnant revenue. The owner was confused, as patrons always complimented the treats in her shop and her walk-in traffic was very positive, but there was never any real financial growth. At our suggestion, she offered customers 10% off if they would take an anonymous survey, and the results were astounding. It was discovered that patrons viewed the bakery as more of a coffee shop than a place to buy large, take-home sweets. They enjoyed their experiences, but wished there was better casual seating and later hours. This was great news! After a slight refresh of the shop’s layout, an increase of seating with a decrease of pastry displays, a shift in hours, and an increase of small, single-serve confections, sales jumped 40%! The ingredients to success had been there all along, but it took a bit of consumer insight to understand how to best grow.
