Customer feedback is a chance to garner honest and insightful views from people who engage your services. It represents an opportunity for you to learn and, where necessary, instigate changes that will help your business develop.
As such, it baffles me how so many businesses never ask their customers for feedback. Even if you are in a good position and deliver excellent results, there is always room for improvement. And never assume that a customer is happy with every aspect of what you do. Whether it’s enquiry handling, creating proposals, contracting, or delivering a product, there will be things you could be doing better.
So, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of asking for feedback from your customers.
- It will allow you to understand how satisfied your customers truly are. It is always a good idea to add a net promoter score into your feedback process. For example, on a scale of 1-10, “how likely are you to use us again”. Such scoring will give you clearly defined results about how you are performing.
- It will guide the way your services or products evolve. Customers will bring objectivity to what you do, and their feedback can be a vital resource for making long term improvements.
- Asking a customer for their feedback will make them feel valued. It is a process that instils trust and loyalty.
- It will assist with client retention. A satisfied customer is also more likely to recommend you to family and friends. When this happens, the customer becomes a valuable asset to your company.
- Positive feedback can be a useful tool for marketing your services. Once you have gathered all responses, it is essential to ask whether you can include them in any marketing communications. When you have received the go-head, then can be featured in a range of media: website testimonials, case studies, proposals, social media, Google my Business, and LinkedIn. . . to name but a few.
When should I ask for feedback?
Only you can decide when the most suitable time is to request feedback. However, if it warrants an immediate response, a request can be sent out to the customer within a day or two of delivering the product or service.
In other instances, a more extended period may be necessary before constructive feedback can be given. Again, you need to think about when would be ‘the right time’? When has the customer had long enough to reflect to provide meaningful comments? For many, a request that comes in too early will simply be ignored.
How should I ask for feedback?
There are many ways to ask for feedback, and it largely depends on how much detail you would like and how forthcoming a given customer is likely to be. Feedback can take the form of a simple written response, have more structured review sections, or include a scorecard.
No matter the type of form it takes, you need to ensure that it is well planned, i.e. it is readily understood, and it will allow customers to provide answers quickly. It would help if you also told people how long it will take to complete the process. This will manage their expectation and help prevent any boredom or frustration from setting in.
Many people use forms. MS Forms is my personal favourite, but other options are available, such as Google Forms, Typeform and Responster. All offer a free and intelligent way to collect data.
Larger companies like Sky and BT now use SMS messages to gain feedback, but I would send an email or a simple form for small business owners.
Managing Negative feedback
Something that is always difficult to handle is negative feedback that is justified. Stephen Covey advises that proactivity in such situations is critical:
“The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it. This literally turns a failure into a success.”
Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
If you deal with a problem early and offer a solution, customers will generally be understanding. Simply acknowledge that you messed up or failed to meet your usual standards, but you will do x, y or z to ensure that it is rectified or doesn’t happen again.
By owning the mistake, you can take control, and your clients will respect you for it. In addition, they are more likely to return to you in the future, knowing that you did all you could to resolve an issue and make improvements.
In summary
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. If you are, that probably indicates there are issues you already know about. For any other negative comments, you need to see them as a chance to learn and improve. When taken on board, such feedback is beneficial for your business in the long run.
And never underestimate the power of positive feedback. It can be incredibly gratifying, but more than this, such appreciation often makes a job feel worthwhile. It will also motivate your teams. Positive feedback is other people telling the world how good you are. As a marketing tool, it is indispensable.
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss any new customer feedback processes you may find beneficial to implement in your business. I’d be happy to help. HELLO@ORCHARD-VA.CO.UK
