Take customer feedback objectively and not personally.
How much you know about your customers, their needs and their perceptions of you can make — or break — your operation. Just ask Stan Miklis, a sole proprietor in Dallas, Texas. Operating Caliper Farm to Market since 1974, Miklis has conducted customer surveys and acted on his findings for decades. “I’ve always tried to know who my customers are,” Miklis says. “You have to find out what people need before you can possibly meet those needs.” To that end, he combines informal and formal market research methods. Casually interacting with customers is among the easiest, most common ways vendors learn what’s working and what’s not. But, Miklis cautions: