Building Brand Loyalty Through Customer Listening with Rob Markey
\u201cIn times of crisis, as leaders, we often want to clamp down\u2014command and control. We go into bunker mode.\u201d However, customer loyalty is best built by closing the distance between a brand's leadership and the front lines of employees and customers, explains Rob Markey of Bain & Company. We discussed all of this and more on this week\u2019s episode of the On Brand podcast.\nAbout Rob Markey\nRob Markey is a partner in Bain & Company\u2019s New York office and a leader in the firm\u2019s Customer Strategy & Marketing practice. He is an expert in customer and employee loyalty, new product development, and customer service strategies.\nRob leads the NPS Loyalty Forum, a group of approximately 35 senior executives from loyalty-leading companies around the world, such as The Vanguard Group, American Express, JetBlue, Telstra, TD Bank, LEGO, Progressive Insurance, PwC, and Intuit. He has published numerous articles on various aspects of customer experience and loyalty in publications such as the Harvard Business Review. He is the co-author of The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World, by Harvard Business Review Press, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. Rob earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School.\nEpisode Highlights\nHow can brands build loyalty in times of crisis? \u201cThe brands that are succeeding are those that give their employees and customers a voice,\u201d Rob shared.\nLeadership lessons from Stanley McChrystal. Recently, Rob had the opportunity to interview General Stanley McChrystal on his podcast. \u201cIn a crisis, the biggest mistake you can make is to assume you know the conditions on the ground.\u201d Here's a link to the interview and the podcast.\nThere are four mechanisms for opening communication between leadership and the front lines. Actually, Rob shared six but we spent a lot of time talking about the value of structured listening, small huddles of employees, and direct follow up with individual customers.\nWhat brand has made Rob smile recently? \u201cI'm doing a lot of cooking lately so Williams Sonoma.\u201d Rob shared a story about how the found him with the right product, in the right place, at the right time. I pointed out that smiles are contagious and went and connected Williams Sonoma as well.\nTo learn more about Rob, check out his writing on the Bain & Company website and his recent work on customer value.\nAs We Wrap \u2026\nDid you hear something you liked on this episode or another?\xa0Do you have a question you\u2019d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.\nOn Brand is sponsored by my book\xa0Brand Now.\xa0Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world.\xa0Order now and get special digital extras.\xa0Learn more.\n\n\nSubscribe to the podcast\xa0\u2013 You can subscribe to the show via\xa0Apple Podcasts,\xa0Stitcher,\xa0Google Play,\xa0TuneIn, and\xa0RSS.\n\n\nRate and review the show\xa0\u2013 If you like what you\u2019re hearing, head over to\xa0Apple Podcasts\xa0and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.\n\n\nOK. How do you rate and review a podcast?\xa0Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes?\xa0Check this out.\n\nUntil next week, I\u2019ll see you on the Internet!\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices