Do you have a suggestion box for your business? If so, how sincerely do you consider the recommendations and complaints you receive? If you haven't yet tapped this invaluable resource, I encourage you to create one and actively seek to fill it.

If you yourself have ever tried to offer constructive suggestions to business owners or customer service representatives -- only to learn that they had no way to collect them -- how did it make you feel?

The last three out of five times that I've tried giving suggestions, I've slammed into a dead end. Since I'm always bubbling over with ideas about how companies can improve their customer service, I'm chronically disappointed when I find they're not waiting with open arms and ears to receive to them -- even when the issue has caused me considerable angst as a customer.

This article offers several tips for using the input you collect to actually strengthen your business and bring in more revenue.

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Ideas for Mining Your Data
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Your customers deserve no less than the very best of experiences with every facet of your offerings. Revealing and remedying annoying hassles can stem the exodus of any cranky customers and help you begin building a base of "raving fans."

So, once you have a suggestion box or even technical support logs that contain customer feedback, you can comb through them to identify hassles of every type. What's really been bugging your customers or stopping them from getting things done? See which kinds of trends you can spot.

For example, are people having trouble installing something, or wrestling with getting started? Are they reporting bugs or service problems? Are instructions incomplete or confusing? Look for the following possibilities:

- Immediate but basic problems that you can remedy right away.
- Major malfunctions occurring that should be documented and fixed.
- Gaps in the internal hand-offs for converting prospects into customers.
- Customers or prospects needing something that you don't offer, which could spark ideas for new offerings, accessories, and promotional campaigns.

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More Ideas for Uncovering Customer Hassles
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Below are additional ways to reveal the sources of your customers' aggravations.

1. Poll customers using Web, mail, or e-mail surveys, or support calls.

You might ask what your customers love and don't love about your products and services, and how they might suggest improving them. You could even consider expanding routine customer support calls by asking customers: "Is there anything you can think of that could enable our products or services to better assist you?" Customers may find it very refreshing to finally reveal their pet peeves.

2. Observe your customers using your products at their own facilities.

It may be a real eye-opener to watch your customers try to install, set up, learn, and troubleshoot your product without having someone guide them through every step. If you had intended your products to be self-explaining and easy to use, this could reveal several aspects in which they are not.

3. Prioritize your findings using the 80:20 rule.

Try to determine which 20% of the hassles (the "vital few") seem to be giving your customers 80% of the grief. Then, continuously work toward eliminating the heaviest hitters until you've removed everything down to the noise level. It's easier said than done, but in the long run, your customers will really appreciate it!

In conclusion, your suggestion box, customer database, or other observations may represent an under-exploited source of new income streams. The information you glean can eliminate customer headaches, boost customer loyalty, and lead to new or improved offerings and precisely targeted marketing campaigns that open revenue doors. Therefore, you have everything to gain by taking charge of this data and mining its treasure!