Customer Measurement Problem 4

BELIEVING THAT MEASURING IS DOING

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Another mantra that needs revisiting is as follows: “What gets measured gets done.” While the quote may be pervasive, it also is fallacious. Often, what gets measured does not get done. Some companies seem to believe that measurement of customer opinion is the main thing that is required. However, that in itself has little to do with proactive management of customer experiences and customer relationships. There is a difference between measurement and management. Management implies that action is being taken in response to what was discovered through measurement.

I once heard a client state it cleverly. He said measurement alone is a bit like someone repeatedly stepping on the scale expecting to see weight loss. Certainly the scale can be helpful as a gauge on how well the objective of weight loss is or isn’t progressing. However, it simply would be wishful thinking to expect the measurement itself to magically make the change objective materialize.

Too many companies implement customer measurement initiatives believing they are doing something to improve relationships with customers. But companies that stop at the measurement phase will be severely disappointed with the outcomes. “Why are we paying all this money to measure customer satisfaction? Our scores have stayed flat for the past five periods.” Hello! What improvement initiatives have you put into place to make change happen? If the answer is none, don’t expect your scores to go up. Measuring is not doing. In reality, customer data must become actionable business intelligence that sparks organizational assignment of responsibility to make changes happen, with some associated system of accountability in place to ensure that it does