Q-and-a: How ForeSee Results is expanding beyond online customer satisfaction measurement

Now, however, the company is gradually extending its technology to off-line satisfaction measurement for the customers of its customers, which include some of the country's biggest retailers.

"In 2010 we started to apply our technology from not only measuring the satisfaction experience of the website visitor to measuring the customer’s satisfaction across all of our customer touch points," Freed said. "So being able to measure mobile devices, being able to measure social [media] presence, being able to measure in-store and call centers — and that’s probably been the biggest transformation in our company."

Freed recently spoke with AnnArbor.com contributor Joe Marr of Sandler Training. Excerpts from that conversation:

Joe Marr: Do you use the same analysis techniques for ForeSee Results' (own) customer satisfaction measurement?

Larry Freed: We do actually. We measure our customers' satisfaction about once a year. We are at our best when we hold ourselves to the standards we tell our users to strive for. We have also started to apply it to our employees as well, measuring their employee satisfaction.

Marr: How often do you look at the data?

Freed: Pretty frequently. To me, there’s nothing more important than satisfying your customers and again, it’s practicing what we preach.

Marr: Is there a particular metric that’s a leading indicator?:

Freed: Satisfaction is our leading indicator. So if you satisfy your customers today, they’re going to be long-term and loyal customers and they’re going to recommend you to others. This is true for everyone. They may not coming running back tomorrow, but it’s going to be good for you in the long run. ... There is no downside to satisfying your customers.

Marr: They hold equity.

Freed: They hold equity and they are your most important asset. They tell other people and represent what they learned in a positive way. One of the sayings that I love is “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” and we say that to our clients.

Marr: I’m guessing there’ve been things that you tried that didn’t work or didn’t work to your satisfaction or didn’t work like you expected to, or maybe led to unexpected results?

Freed: Yeah, I think there are. One of the things was building the capability to measure mobile devices and we probably started a little earlier than our customers were ready for it. And so I think now our customers are starting to catch up. So every year for five years, we heard “this is the year of mobile.”. I actually think 2011 probably will be the year of mobile.

Marr: Is there any particular big opportunity or challenge you’re pursuing right now that’s around the corner?

Freed: Recently we started to take our technology and to apply it to other channels, I think that’s a great opportunity for us. We’re going to continue grow our core business of measuring the web. But as we’re moving to the call center, the in-store and the mobile, and the social measurement, that’s a great opportunity for us and a new challenge for us as well. And the third avenue of growth opportunity that is also a challenge is growing the business internationally.

Marr: How has your job changed in the last couple years?

Freed: Good question. Early on, as a CEO, you’re involved in every sales effort. Over time you get less and less involved. I still try to spend a lot of time with our sales team, at conferences, going out and visiting both clients and prospects because it gives you probably the best intelligence you can ever get as a CEO. But I think my job has changed to building the team out and enabling the team to be successful. When you’re small, you can do it all yourself or you at least keep an eye on everything. And as you continue to grow, you've got to get good at delegating; you've got to good at letting go.

Joe Marr is a public speaker, sales and management consultant and trainer, and runs Sandler Training - Ann Arbor at 501 Avis Drive. To reach him call: (734) 821-4830 or visit his website at: www.sandlerannarbor.com.