SATISFYD’s CEO Ryan Condon sat down with Doug Tibben, president of Pattison Agriculture, to discuss how his company has tackled employee and customer issues head-on in order to grow and thrive. Having increased their market share by 60% since 2020, Doug shared how deep-diving into customer feedback, empowering employees with education, and breaking down communication blockages have succeeded Pattison Agriculture. 

Watch the Full Interview Here

Challenges in Getting Straight, Honest Feedback

When it comes to the customer experience, ‘satisfied’ often isn’t enough; companies need to aim for exceptional satisfaction to attract and retain a customer base. 

The difficulty is, how do companies know what needs to change to get there? Getting honest customer feedback from staff on the frontline can be challenging, often because service staff is reluctant to report negative interactions to management for fear of rocking the boat.

Not having an effective outlet for customers to report their experiences - and voice any concerns - can result in years of pent-up frustration. When it comes to these frustrations, the stakes are high; without release and remedy, customers are likely to silently move to another dealership where they feel valued.  

Releasing & Remedying Customer Frustrations

It’s often ineffective to immediately funnel all customer concerns or complaints up to high-level management. To avoid customer frustrations mounting, problem-solving works best when there are people on the ground in each location that are held accountable for customer satisfaction. 

In giving autonomy back to the branch, managers can dive into difficult conversations with customers and access honest criticism and actionable feedback. Not only is this a more effective way of remedying customer problems, but it allows each branch to see for themselves what is working well and what needs to change.

Another essential tool in releasing a backlog of customer dissatisfaction is surveys. Giving customers a clear voice, SATISFYD surveys tap directly into customer experiences so that management can see where service problems and strengths lie.

Breaking Down Communication Blockages

For some companies, a ‘clay-layer’ starts to form between frontline staff and management. Whilst there might be great up and down communication between corporate, general managers and branch managers, information often hits a blockage just before reaching parts and services staff. 

This clay layer works both ways - information doesn’t get down, and customer feedback doesn’t get back up to management. Therefore, the question is: how can organizations smash through the clay layer?

Tapping directly into customer feedback essentially bypasses the blockage. By using SATISFYD surveys, everyone from branch managers to the CEO can see direct customer feedback. When surveys are followed up by meaningful outreach, customers feel that they’re truly being listened to.  

Equally, feedback starts to dissolve the clay layer as staff becomes more engaged. As well as instilling accountability for branch problems, front-line staff get excited about the wins. When certain individuals are called out for exceptional service, frontline staff become more proactive about communication and problem-solving.

Empowering Staff Through Education

Another way employees can be bought together - and raised up - is through shared education. From books to podcasts to lectures, there is a whole wealth of information out there that can help staff become better at their jobs and evolve towards leadership roles. 

Yet, reading stacks of books is only valuable when knowledge is applied and processes are changed. By coming together to discuss and experiment, staff can navigate how to actually implement key takeaways. 

Much more active than listening to a lecture, making processing knowledge a collaborative exercise empowers staff to make decisions themselves. This accountability will improve employee engagement and manifest positive customer interactions on the frontline.

Does it sound like SATISFYD surveys could boost employee and customer satisfaction within your business? Get in touch with our team today!