Close the Loop
Closing the Loop, simply shortened to CtL, is too often overlooked as an unnecessary expense by many companies; however, much can be gained by Closing the Loop. 

Closing the Loop can help improve your Customers satisfaction, solve Customer issues, reduced churn, and allow you to target Advocates with Member get Member (MgM) programs; leading to an increase in revenue and a greater Return of Investment (ROI).
How to Close the Loop

The best way to Close the Loop with a Customer is to pick up the phone and call them. This personal touch shows the Customer that you care and value their feedback.

If you are unable to reach the Customer by phone, the next best option is to send them a personalized email, thanking them for their feedback, and ideally solving any issues they might have. 
10 reasons why you should Close the Loop 
  1. Allows you to thank the Customers for completing the survey
  2. Allows you to solve issues and make quick wins
  3. Shows you listen to your Customers
  4. Allows you to identify/clarify root causes
  5. Improves rapport with your Customer
  6. Improves loyalty 
  7. Reduces churn
  8. Potentially to activate advocates 
  9. Call reduction
  10. Improves your Net Promoter Score
Close the Loop Best Practice Guide
Implement a Close the loop program as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more money you are loosing, through Customers attrition and lost up-sell potential. Research carried out by Liberty Global found that Close the loop can reduce churn by up to 43%.
Start by focusing on Customers who gave you a NPS of Zero to Three, in order  to maximize your Return of Investment (ROI). Zero to Three scorers (or Super Detractors as they are often know) offer the biggest potential, with Zeros scorers being over 50% more likely to leave you than Customers who gave you a score of four. 
Providing it is legally acceptable in your country, do not ask your Customers at the end of your survey if you can call them to follow-up. Doing so sets an expectation which can not always be achieved, dissatisfying Customers further.  It is far better to surprise and delight Customers by calling them back without being prompted. 
In addition to your Zero to Three Scorers, it is well worth reviewing your Customers written feedback, known as verbatim, in order to identify Customers who scored higher than a 4 but would benefit from a call back. Such as Customers who indicate they would be interested in buying something. Check out my VoC section for more details. 
You won't always be able to reach the Customer on the first attempt, therefore I would recommend two attempts at different times of the day.
The sooner you follow-up after a Customer have provided their feedback the more positive the impact will be. Customer Gauge found that industry leaders follow-up with their Customers within 48 hours. 
If you are unable to reach the Customer by phone, it is still worth while sending them an email thanking them for feedback and offering a solution to their issue. The more personalized the email the better. Customer Gauge found that 45% Industry laggards fail to send a "thank you" note, whereas 75% of industry leaders do. 
The sooner you follow-up after a Customer have provided their feedback the more positive the impact will be. Customer Gauge found that industry leaders follow-up with their Customers within 48 hours. 
Having a dedicated Close the Loop team offers many advantages over using regular team members. You can choose a team of passionate, empathetic, and  experienced people, who can offer your Customers the best possible service; and provide you with a single point for controlling and reporting. 
Your dedicated Close the Loop team should also be empowered to solve your Customers issues. Failing to give your CtL team sufficient  autonomy will result in more unresolved cases and an increase in call backs. Check out my section on Employee Engagement and my Blogs on Employee Empowerment. 
Share by: