But getting bad news from customers passed all the way to the product design groups is surprisingly hard to do. Focus on your most unhappy customers. Use technology to gather rich information on their unhappy experiences with your product and to find out what they want you to put into the product. Use technology to drive the news to the right people in a hurry. If you do these three things, you'll turn those draining bad news experiences into an exhilarating process of improving your product or service.
Unhappy customers are always a concern.
They're also your greatest opportunity. Companies that invest early in digital nervous systems to capture, analyze and capitalize on customer input will differentiate themselves from competition. You should examine customer complaints more often than company financials. And your digital systems should help you convert bad news to improved products and services. The internet allows a company to focus far more than in the past by changing which employees work within the walls and which work outside in an adjunct, consulting or partnering role.