The value of getting feedback from customers quickly, early, and often
Coming out of the pandemic, Dwellworks knew customer needs and expectations for the services we deliver would change. People were re-engaging in a process that had been on hold for months, moving to marketplaces with new supply/demand dynamics, and often experiencing services under new policy guidelines and with new tools. As the leader in destination services for the globally mobile workforce, we wanted to gauge these new expectations and train our team to respond as soon as possible to them. We always want to do better for customers, which meant we needed more data, received quicker, to ensure we could take meaningful action.
We had the technology in the form of myDwellworks, our proprietary global customer experience platform, the volume to generate meaningful data and results, and the best service delivery organization in the world, so why not ask for feedback and elevate the customer experience? In 2021, we committed to designing and implementing a low-customer requirement, high-impact solution called “Pulse Checks” that would allow customers to engage with us throughout their service process. Fully implemented in 2022 across the 16 countries and hundreds of locations where we deliver destination services, the ‘Pulse Check’ process has created 37,895 invitations for fast feedback through December 2023, secured a 40% response rate, and earned 98.3% positive service experience feedback.
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure” – how we’ve used a simple question to make the human service experience better
The Pulse Check process is simple in design: 100% of the destination services customers we serve are invited to our myDwellworks platform. Through myDwellworks, relocating employees receive simple alerts asking them a basic question about their experience: ‘How do you feel about the service you’re receiving from (name of experience owner at Dwellworks)’? The employees can respond with a green smiley face or a red frowny face and is always invited to provide feedback. The feedback is sent to our service delivery team and our technology team. In the rare instance where the feedback requires a tech fix, instructions are provided to the engagement manager to give the customer specific feedback on the timing for the fix. When the Pulse Check feedback is service-related, the local Consultant paired with the customer is informed and re-engages to make sure the needs are understood, acted on, and the employee is satisfied. Our goal is to create customer trust by showing that their feedback is valued and responded to.
Pulse Checks have proved to be the trifecta of data-driven analytics: providing specific, actionable feedback directly from customers in real-time, at high volumes. With thousands of responses, Dwellworks can discern patterns and improve service delivery to continuously upgrade the customer experience and increase customer satisfaction scores. We can correlate information like ‘level of complexity of a move’ and ‘likelihood of concerns/dissatisfaction.’ We can isolate which events in the service experience are most likely to trigger a dissatisfied response and get ahead of that curve with preparation, information, and solutions for the customer. Dwellworks has always been data-driven, but Pulse Checks have been a game changer because they reinforce and redirect where we have opportunities to take better care of customers.
Direct feedback and local expertise make all the difference
Pulse Check has enabled us to have more dynamic engagement with our customers. For example, from the small percent of respondents who are not happy with our service, we know a common concern is ‘share more property choices.’ This feedback is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate expertise and engagement and provide a larger context for the local rental real estate market. Our experts explain why the number of properties may be limited - typically due to excessive market demand and low inventory, rental budget, and/or preferences which may be unaligned with local market dynamics. Our 1,100+ local Consultants can then dive deeper to explain how online listings work and why what an employee sees on a real estate platform is not necessarily what’s available in real-time, what a ‘landlord market’ means, and how as trusted local experts, our team can source properties beyond online listings. Most importantly, customer feedback shared early is an opportunity to engage in conversations that ensure a positive relocation experience overall. Pulse Check was not necessary for us to become great at service, but it has helped pinpoint customer-specific issues for action.
Responsive service in real time leads to better scores in final client surveys too
There is not always a 1:1 correlation between the Pulse Check responses we get mid-service and the end-of-service customer satisfaction survey results, but when there is, it’s because we addressed an early concern, shared as an early “frown”, as soon as possible and turned the experience around, resulting in a positive ‘end of service’ approval rating. Dwellworks delivers destination services to the clients of nearly every RMC in our industry. We want our RMC partners to have reliable, verifiable data to share with their corporate clients. It is a fact, for example, that while Pulse Check and end-of-service surveys are not directly tied, our overall client survey scores have also improved since we adopted this system of frequent feedback and fast response.
We believe our RMC and corporate clients value facts and data as well as narratives of positive personal experiences. Data and close customer engagement support each other. Our data tells us our service results are the outcome of our investment in a comprehensive, multi-lingual digital content platform (myDwellworks), in the training and expertise of our Consultants, and our coverage in over 1,000 metro, rural, and remote markets around the world. All of that is true, but nothing speaks as loudly as direct customer feedback. Having 98.3% of the customers who engage with Pulse Check tell us we are getting it right and delivering what they need, how and when they need it, is a powerful vote of confidence.
About Dwellworks:
Dwellworks is the world’s largest provider of destination-related services and temporary living solutions for the globally mobile workforce and business travelers. We provide business-to-business solutions for Fortune 1000 and emerging companies through their relocation management partners. Whether a company needs to relocate its employees across the world or the country, we provide a range of support services to relocation management companies and businesses to help employees and their families transition successfully from their home location to a new destination.
Dwellworks operates according to our core values of Integrity, Teamwork, Performance, Innovation, and Fun. These are the root of everything we do – from the Teamwork aspect of sourcing and supporting our helpful local Consultants to assist any relocating employee in hundreds of cities worldwide with their move, to the Integrity of our highly-trained Intercultural experts who are here to help transferees adjust to new cultures and confidently settle into their destination locations, to the Innovation of our myDwellworks technology platform technologies that familiarizes employees on assignment with their destination and enables customized conversations on properties, schools, and situation-specific needs.
Dwellworks supports the diversity of our clients’ globally mobile workforce with personalized destination solutions in 16 countries, covering major relocation markets. Dwellworks has consistently responded to the mobility services and needs of our global clients. In 2020, Dwellworks launched Dwellworks Living to expand our original portfolio of corporate housing markets to include a full-service corporate housing operation, offering alternative accommodations for relocation and business travel customers in 125 countries. In 2023, we launched Dwellworks Move, providing both destination services and corporate housing to small and medium-sized businesses. Our full-service real estate brokerage, Station Cities, supports home rentals, sales, and purchases in the Tri-State New York area and Chicago. Visit our homepage, learn about our services, and read our blogs to learn how we can help with your relocation and business travel needs.
