9 Strategies to promote customer feedback
Everyone business should theoretically aspire to design a product or service so revolutionary and so meaningful that it will blow the competition out of the water resulting in hoards of customers pouring through their doors. (Wouldn’t that be nice?)
For better or worse, something akin to this is only possible when a company fully understands their customers, their wants and needs, their hopes and aspirations, as well as any pain points they may have.
There are several ways to get your hands on this type of information. Probably the most comprehensive and accurate way is to have the customers tell it themselves. It is what’s known as customer feedback, and it’s a powerful tool to have at your disposal.
If used correctly, customer feedback will allow you to design your product in a way that it addresses every one of your customers’ pain points, eliminating much of the guesswork. It will also grant you the possibility to improve your operations and tailor them around your customers so that their buyer’s journey will not be hindered in any way.
Nevertheless, gathering customer feedback can be a challenge and ineffective if done incorrectly.
Nine Strategies to Promote Customer Feedback
Monitoring Social Media – It’s somewhat wrong to assume that customer feedback needs to be something official. Your social media channels already provide you with an environment where customers feel encouraged to state their opinions about your brand and products. All you have to do is keep an eye on what’s being said.
Survey Kiosks – There’s no better kind of feedback than real-time feedback. If you want precise information about, say, in-store customer experience, the best place to get it is in the store, itself. Survey kiosks can help promote customer feedback by being at the right place, at the right time.
Email Follow-ups – It’s advisable to ask your customers for feedback after every interaction. Traditionally, businesses commonly ask for it after the sale has been made. But by asking your customers for feedback via email after an interaction, you can also get pre-sale data, as well.
SMS Alerts – Even if it’s a link to an online survey, text messaging your customers’ mobile devices is one of the most effective ways you can reach them with your request for their feedback – and get a response!
One-On-One Phone Calls – A phone call can go a long way in establishing closer and more personal relationship between yourself as a business and your client. It can also provide an excellent opportunity to find out what is the client’s opinion of you.
Simple Surveys – One primary reason why people generally avoid filling out customer surveys is that they’re too long. As a general rule of thumb, it’s better to ask about parts of the issue, instead of the whole thing, and keep your survey to a maximum of three questions. Less is probably more, in this case.
Simple Questions – Similar to the point above, people will be likelier to answer if the questions are clear and straightforward to understand. Avoid asking open-ended questions and if the circumstances allow it, aim for yes or no answers.
Show You Care – Another reason why people don’t fill out surveys is that they think the company doesn’t care about their opinion. To counteract this misconception, provide a short description of the project you’re going to use their feedback on, and give them a personalized Thank you note after they finished. It will also encourage them to complete your surveys the next time around.
Live Chat – Like survey kiosks, website live-chat services will allow you to acquire real-time feedback. By having someone ready to answer any questions or grievances that your customers may have, will not only increase their experience, but it will also provide you with insights about their wants, needs, and pain points.
Conclusion
Customer feedback can be a powerful tool for constant improvement and efficiency. By following these nine strategies here, you will encourage people to provide you with their input, which, in turn, will help your business grow and thrive.
