Get to Know Your Customers Day is officially celebrated on the third Thursday of every quarter, but in reality, this should be something we practice daily. As someone who has dedicated my career to customer service excellence, I believe that truly understanding your customers is the foundation of creating memorable experiences that turn them into loyal advocates.
The challenge many businesses face isn’t recognizing the importance of customer knowledge—it’s knowing how to gather meaningful insights that align with their brand values. Generic surveys and standard questions yield generic responses. To truly connect with customers, we need to be more strategic in our approach.
Ask Brand-Aligned Questions
I recommend asking your customers questions that are uniquely aligned with your brand—questions that no competitor could ask quite the way you do. This approach accomplishes two important goals: it reinforces your brand identity while gathering valuable customer insights.
For example, since my work centers around creating moments of customer amazement, I might ask: “Can you share an example of an amazing customer experience another company created for you?” This question is perfectly aligned with my brand message while giving me valuable information about what impresses my customers.
When we learn what customers appreciate about other companies’ service, we gain insight into:
- What specific experiences create positive emotional responses
- Which service elements they notice and remember
- How their expectations are being set by other businesses
- What might surprise and delight them in future interactions
This information is far more valuable than standard demographic data because it reveals the emotional drivers behind customer satisfaction—the factors that create true loyalty.
Connect Your Story to Theirs
The language we use matters tremendously in customer interactions. When we frame questions in terms of our core brand values, we create a natural bridge between our company’s story and our customers’ experiences.
If your brand focuses on creating “super fans,” ask customers about companies they’re super fans of. If you emphasize innovation, ask about innovative experiences that impressed them. If reliability is your cornerstone, inquire about companies they find consistently dependable.
The magic happens when you discover the overlap between:
- What your brand stands for
- What your customers value
- Where you can authentically deliver exceptional experiences
This approach goes beyond superficial data collection. It creates meaningful dialogue that helps customers feel understood while giving you actionable insights to improve your service.
Make Every Day Customer Day
While Get to Know Your Customers Day provides a quarterly reminder, the most successful businesses make customer understanding an ongoing priority. I’ve observed that companies creating the highest levels of customer loyalty are those that continuously seek to deepen their understanding of customer needs, preferences, and emotional triggers.
The beauty of asking brand-aligned questions is that they can be naturally integrated into regular customer interactions—not just formal surveys. Train your team to listen for opportunities to learn more about customer preferences in everyday conversations.
Remember that customer knowledge isn’t static. Preferences evolve, expectations rise, and competitive offerings change. The businesses that thrive are those that maintain an ongoing curiosity about their customers’ changing needs.
This Thursday, I challenge you to start a new tradition of asking at least one brand-aligned question that helps you better understand what amazes your customers. Then use those insights to create experiences that transform them from satisfied customers into enthusiastic advocates for your business.
When you get to know your customers better, they’ll get to know you better too—and that mutual understanding is the foundation of lasting business relationships.
