Understanding customers represents the lifeblood of any serious business. With endless options and nonstop digital noise, standing out requires focuses attention on each individual’s needs and preferences.
According to Lihong Hicken, co-founder and CEO of TheySaid, “You need to understand your customers better. You need to understand your market better using more interactive, engaging ways.”
Lihong sees a future where businesses continuously engage customers through questions and discussions, not just periodic surveys. With AI capability, they aim to make the process simple and natural for both parties. As Lihong says, “using AI you can actually get consistent feedback from your customers, do your market research, and get ongoing data to make better business decisions.”
The question is, how does TheySaid plan to make this AI-enabled vision a reality for enterprises today? Lihong details three core approaches.
Listening to Customers with AI
The first avenue focuses personalized questions through AI scheduling. As Lihong explains, “Think about sending the right question to the right people at the right time using a scheduling system.”
TheySaid technology can determine ideal timing and topics for checking in with customers based on their history and behaviors. Questions are designed to unpack opinions around key areas like products, pricing, and services.
The goals center on nurturing loyalty by showing customers their voice matters. “Helping you build a loyal relationship with your customers,” says Lihong. Data from responses provides insights to enhance experiences over time.
Making Surveys Engaging with AI
Surveys represent a common tactic businesses use to check the pulse of their customers. However, execution typically leaves much to be desired. Lihong touches on an all too familiar scenario. “You probably are very familiar with survey questions that contain 5 to 20 questions and you can actually translate those into AI versions that’s more engaging, more fun.”
TheySaid incorporates conversational principles into surveys through AI. This approach delivers something interactive versus the dreaded “boring surveys that just interrogate your customers.”
As Lihong notes, “your customers are not numbers, they are people.” The technology allows back and forth discussion to uncover richer insights around preferences. At the same time, customers feel heard versus hassled.
Conducting AI-Driven Competitive Research
Lastly, TheySaid facilitates AI interview capabilities around competitive research. As Lihong explains, “AI interviews focus on helping you understand why behind your customers’ behavior – why they choose to buy your product, why they choose to leave you.”
The goal is moving beyond surface level feedback into the psychology driving decisions. TheySaid technology can have natural conversations at scale to uncover motivations.
Lihong also sees value in competitor analysis through AI interviews. “You can also use AI interviews to understand competitive analysis. So using AI you can actually get consistent feedback from your customers, your market research.”
TheySaid provides the tools for having regular engagement with the right customers. This means updated competitor research rather than periodic reports. “This will give you ongoing data to make better business decisions,” says Lihong. ultimately, this information translates into improvements for customer experiences.
Shaping the Future of Customer Feedback
At its core, TheySaid strives to pioneer new ways enterprises engage customers through AI. With personalization, automation, and analysis advancements, Lihong see’s and opportunity to shape the next generation of market research.
“Using AI, you can actually get consistent feedback from your customers and your market research – giving you ongoing data,” Lihong remarks. The vision moving forward centers on enabling businesses to have an ongoing conversation versus periodic surveys. Multiple avenues exist through TheySaid’s AI software for deepening the relationship.
Through AI-enabled engagement, Lihong’s software brings out the human elements to drive customer satisfaction over time. Ultimately, their innovations point toward the future of customer understanding.
To learn more about Lihong Hicken and TheySaid, check out her LinkedIn profile.
