Involving Customers through an Advisory Council - Case Study

Business Objective:

An international distributor wanted to gain feedback on an ongoing basis from some of its largest US customers.

Research Objective:

CMI was enlisted to establish a Customer Advisory Council to explore a number of issues on a regular basis, including:

• Customer and industry best practices
• Possible solutions and implementation approaches
• New ideas for the delivery of products and services that provide new revenue streams.

Methodology:

CMI recruited Council members to represent various industry categories as well as different regional sales and service divisions.  Council members have been asked to participate in a variety of research efforts/events, including:

• Telephone or in-person focus groups
• Telephone or in-person one-on-one interviews
• Online focus groups and web-based bulletin board sessions
• Internet and phone surveys

In addition, a website has been developed as a supplemental means of communicating with Council members.  The website also serves as a vehicle for certain research initiatives.

The Result:

The distributor now has ready access to important customer representation from a variety of different segments.  The distributor will continue to use the input from the Council regarding customer needs and concerns to make both tactical and strategic improvements to their business.