In the Spotlight: BGRS Introduces a New Approach to Gathering Customer Sentiment

BGRS’s new approach to gathering customer sentiment focuses on gaining customer feedback in the moment, supporting a reimagined customer experience. Nancy Cunningham, Vice President, Client Solutions, is In the Spotlight to discuss what led to this approach and what it means for our customers.

BGRS has a long tradition of measuring customer satisfaction. Why are we changing now?

Nancy Cunningham: Good question. We’ve always been committed to a consistent, thorough approach to measuring customer satisfaction. Reflecting our understanding of the changes in what our customers want and need today, we began to rethink that approach as we placed a greater focus on the entire customer experience.

We engaged Qualtrics, an industry leader in the field of Experience Management, to help us explore opportunities to shift our approach to customer satisfaction measuring and management. In the age of digitally-driven instant feedback and integrated customer experiences, gathering customer input ‘in the moment’ is critical. For us, that means getting a better understanding of our customer’s feelings while the relocation was ongoing, especially at those meaningful moments during a move. The questions we ask must be relevant, simple, and easy to answer. And overall, we need to focus on the customer experience, not just the move logistics. If our customers are feeling good about their move, that says something positive about how we are supporting them. And of course, this is a direction that many of our clients support. They’re interested in making sure their employees have the ability to provide immediate feedback at those critical and often personal points in the relocation where they most need support.

So, what had to change?

Nancy: Our focus on reimagining the customer experience was driven by an understanding that customers wanted more choice, more flexibility, and more personalization. The same kind of shift applied to our thinking relative to gathering their feedback. As consumers, all of us have gotten used to being able to provide instant feedback on products and services – and being responded to quickly! Our new approach does just that. It’s simpler for the customer and more immediate, gathering their feedback ‘in the moment.’ It enables us to respond rapidly, as issues that arise are responded to immediately by BGRS experts in the appropriate area. This in turn enables us to course-correct and get answers back to customers while the relocation is still going on, ultimately driving a vastly enhanced customer experience overall.

How does the new approach accomplish that?

Nancy: In several ways. First, we are introducing a number of short, pulse survey questions that appear at the meaningful moments during the move, viewable by the customer in ReloAccessTM, BGRS’s “one-stop shop” digital platform, as the move is proceeding. The customer will also have access to a new feedback button in ReloAccess which they can use to give us feedback – good or bad – at any time. A negative response or a concern surfaced through any of those avenues sets in action teams of BGRS experts who do a root cause analysis on the issue and direct it to the appropriate area. If it’s an issue with temporary housing, for example, that team researches the issue and goes to the supplier for information if that’s appropriate; if there is a problem with the sale of the customer’s home, we engage with the real estate broker.

The result – Immediate feedback, quick response, united exploration of the underlying issue, and development of a solution. And, a broader network of around-the-clock support around the consultant so they have more resources to get the customer what they need, when they need it, providing true 24/7 support.

Does the mobile employee still receive an end of move survey?

Nancy: Yes, however, we are working on making it shorter and easier to answer, with the focus clearly on their overall experience working with BGRS.

By the way, we are also revising our client – the corporate mobility manager – survey to ensure we have timely feedback year-round. Like the customer survey, it will be simplified and re-focused.

How does this fit in with your focus on providing a reimagined experience to our customers?

Nancy: Perfectly. As we introduce more enhancements that give your employees more choice and more options, this new approach better enables us to understand how those are improving their experience throughout their moves. In addition, simply staying closer to their experience, the data we gain will allow us to see trends – not just for individual customers, but across our client base. For instance, this feedback might trigger us to think about an additional pulse in a completely new area. For example, are we seeing a new trend where customers broadly have issues? Are there things we need to prioritize internally to address these, or are there simply additional important milestones in the relocation journey we need to be aware of? Some of that could have implications for our client’s programs and policies, as well.