Questions For Your Customer Advisory Board

While there are many questions to ask your Customer Advisory Board, the first question to ask YOU is if you have a customer advisory board. So do you? The idea of a Customer Advisory Board is to gain honest feedback, insight, ideas and more from customers who shop your store. Often, including customers who do not shop your store  can bring value, as well. Having a mix of customers represented on your Customer Advisory Board is important, also. This may mean different age groups or having customers who range from loving your store to simply liking it to not knowing much about it at all.

Having  an organized meeting with these customers can offer you tremendous insight to how your store is perceived by others – not just how you perceive it or believe it is perceived. The questions below can guide you in communicating with your customers, and gaining valuable thoughts on your store.

1. What first drew your attention to our store?

2. Is there a reason you may have not come into our store based on our outside appearance?

3. If we didn’t exist, where would you shop for what you buy here?

4. If you don’t routinely shop here, where else do you prefer to go and why?

5. What can we do better to gain your loyalty?

6. Is there anyone in particular that stands out to you from our store – for the good or the bad?

7. Can you identify at least one thing we do or don’t do that you find frustrating as a customer?

8. How do you think our prices compare to local competitors?

9. If a stranger asked you for a store recommendation, would you refer ours?

10. What can we do better to best support your shopping needs?

Remember to really listen when speaking with your Customer Advisory Board. Help lead your conversations in gaining information you want to know, but it’s important to let your customers do most of the talking. Inviting them to share their thoughts after store hours is a great way to make it a bit more soccial and fun, as well. And most importantly – encourage them to be honest with both the good and the bad. Making them feel comfortable in sharing truthful feedback is key in gaining realistic support from them as your Customer Advisers.