Big business does not know its customers through quantitative analysis and summary reports, which are staples of the market research and corporate reporting. Too often, the voices of individual customers muted torrent of numbers, and the stories they were told would be distorted. Some managers and executives even less to hear clients say, in their own words and ways, the products and services of the company. However, as we discuss these stories can be assumed to improve customer service, better products, and organizational innovation, in fact, a number of companies have shown that the value of attentiveness to customer stories can be great. Here we describe a controlled, exploratory approach companies can take to develop their own customer relationship story of one that covers not only its interaction with customers along the front line, but the conversations taking place in social media. Our proposal requires a sustained commitment from top management. We advise managers to lead by example, to listen to stories yet to learn from them and share them with others in the executive suite. To really care about the story, business leaders can better serve their clients and their companies. "Hide
by Anthony Gorry, Robert A. Westbrook Source: Business Horizons / Indiana Univ. 10 pages. Publication Date: November 15, 2011. Prod. #: BH457-PDF-ENG
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