Monday, July 20, 2009

Suggestion Box at GM

The Wall Street Journal has a story today about how Fritz Henderson, GM's CEO, has implemented an online suggestion box so that he can hear feedback directly from customers. I certainly applaud Henderson's efforts to listen directly to his customers, without all the usual filters that synthesize and summarize data for a CEO. However, leaders must be careful when they engage in such efforts. First, they have to expose their entire management team to such feedback, so that everyone is hearing the same messages from customers. Second, they must be careful not to act based on anecdotal evidence that may emerge from the suggestion box. Many managers grab on to a particularly compelling story or example, and they run with it. Perhaps, though, that bit of feedback may not represent the experience of the vast majority of GM customers. Finally, the company must be prepared to act on this feedback. Nothing angers customers more than a suggestion box that becomes a black hole from which feedback never returns. Can GM handle the volume that my come their way? Are they prepared to hear what they may not want to hear?

2 comments:

Quinn Florence said...

My name is Quinn Florence. Quinn.florencesr@yahoo.com ,and I am the average american that loves old school cars. If GM really want to make some money and at the same time please the american people young and old bring cars like the 1964 impala back with fiberglass body's and updated engines.I promise if any car company does that they will be making alot of money. Do it so that only 30,000 can be made a year and only certin cars and put a big price on them they will sell.

Quinn Florence said...

I would also like to see some feed back on this Ideal from all bloggers.