Big Ass Fans makes … well, pretty big fans. The first fan nearly two decades ago spanned 20 feet. The company prides itself on being customer-focused and having a direct line to its industrial, agricultural, commercial and residential customers. To bring this to life, they created a role called the Customer Advocacy Manager.
Since 2011, the Customer Advocacy Manager has been centered on making follow up calls to the customers. As a result, customers tend to take these calls seriously and open up more than if they were called by a salesperson.
Being proactive makes a huge difference. Studies have shown that fewer than 5 percent of customers will actually complain when they’ve had a bad experience. By following up, they are not only able to catch mistakes, but also improve processes and product by talking to all customers.
In the follow-up calls, they ask three simple questions:
1. Did you receive the product?
2. Do you have any questions?
3. Is everything OK?
Beyond simple surveys, are you picking up the phone to follow up with your customers to uncover issues and opportunities like Big Ass Fans? Simply saying following up is one of the simplest ways to build repeat business and referrals.