When asking clients for feedback, there are timeless questions you’ll ask over and over that always yield deep insights. And that’s exactly how it should be. How likely they are to recommend you is a KPI you’ll always want to track. But with major developments in the business environment other questions come into play to help understand and better connect with clients. From the ever-hot topic of AI, to the growing importance of an ESG strategy, and the looming UK general election, Graham Archbold of Chorus Insight rounds up some of the topics we think you should be asking about this year.
Cultural alignment on ESG
The impact of climate change on human health is set to be a heavily discussed topic as well as the EU implementing Corporate Sustainability Reporting and the impact of this on businesses operating in the region. Ethics and good governance are in the spotlight more than ever, care of the Post Office scandal.
And when it comes to B2B buyer decision-making, according to Demand Science, 75 percent of buyers say they’re prepared to pay more to do business with a company that operates responsibly. That’s why we recommend finding out what areas of ESG matter most to your clients. Once you understand what’s important to your clients at scale, you can start to think about your firm’s own approach to ESG.
Embedding your ESG strategy into your client satisfaction strategy works two-fold to ensure cultural alignment with clients but also helps to make sure your strategy delivers as it sits at the heart of everything you do on a day-to-day basis, rather than as a side project which can be easily forgotten.
We recommend asking clients:
- What’s your organisation’s ESG focus area for the year?
- What sustainability practices should we be aware of when working with you?
- Which charities are you supporting or fundraising for?
Be prepared to share your firm’s journey and objectives – depending on your client’s industry, you may find you’re way ahead or behind with initiatives, but either way, be transparent about it and try to find ways to collaborate.
Change of Government
With a general election looming and a new government looking like a real possibility, there are implications for businesses across all sectors. Find out what concerns (or the positive impact) your clients anticipate about a general election resulting in a change of government. Being aware of these will enable you to prepare solutions to help them navigate such change.
And remember, it’s not just the UK facing a general election. This is the biggest election year in history with the USA, India, South Africa, Taiwan and Pakistan among the 65 countries whose elections could change the global landscape. If your clients operate internationally, these elections could also have far-reaching implications. With global growth slowing under the burden of high interest rates, politicians of all stripes will try to win over voters with ever more desperate visions of economic recovery.
Analysts rationalise that the 2022 mini-budget debacle has baked risk aversion into UK policymaking but the US election may have outsized consequences as a result of Biden and Trump’s markedly different policies on international relations, the environment and trade.
Questions to ask clients:
- What measures are you taking in the case of a change of government?
- Are there any opportunities you anticipate emerging?
- Which foreign markets are on your watchlist?
Use of AI and LLM Tech
Artificial intelligence has been an achingly hot topic recently with every news outlet weighing in. In reality, the majority of businesses have been happy to sit on the sidelines and watch how industry leaders embrace the new technology. However, in 2024, recent developments such as generative AI are predicted to become mainstream. Small businesses are expected to leverage its power to grow faster than ever, and larger businesses are looking to become more efficient and streamlined. With cost efficiencies to be made and pressure to be seen as cutting edge, it’s going to be difficult for businesses to put off adoption for much longer.
Whether or not your clients have made the leap, legislation and regulation is still a big issue, with governments needing to find the right balance of nurturing the potential of AI with managing the risks.
Questions to ask clients:
- How are you planning to use AI in your everyday operations?
- What’s been your own experience with AI and LLMs to date?
- What concerns do you have about the use of AI in your industry?
Adapting your client service discussions to include topical, relevant questions not only shows clients that you’re on the pulse when it comes to current affairs but will also help you maintain a proactive approach to client services.
For stimulating conversation rather than a dry Q&A, be prepared with your own examples and opinions on the topic too. Staying one step ahead is key to maintaining strong client loyalty and increase satisfaction scores!
Graham is Founder of Chorus Insight, delivering all things feedback related – brand, client and employee insight – exclusively for professional services firms.
