Collecting feedback from your customers directly is a great way to know what they think about your service, brand, or product. When you ask for feedback, they will give you an honest and direct answer. These answers will help you improve your service and will help you know what is missing. There are several techniques you can use to collect feedback from your customers. Some of the most popular methods include:
Surveys
At the end of a service or transaction, you can provide your customers with either a survey or a link that takes them to a survey to fill out. These surveys can also be a part of your email newsletter, or you can send them separately as well after certain milestones have been passed or annually to monitor progress. When you send them separately, make sure that they are short and crisp. Include only five to six questions in the survey to not feel like you’re putting a burden on those who choose to answer it. Make sure that you also include some form of incentive in the survey as well, such as a discount voucher or free shipping on their next purchase from your website or store. If your business is a restaurant, you can provide a free menu item after completion of the survey if they provide proof of having filled it out.
Use Data Analytics and Corporate Research Firm
You can hire a research firm to get real-time feedback from your customers as you conduct your business. You can ask them about problems found while customers patronize your store, website, or any other form of business based on the data that’s collected and what you can do to fix them. These research firms will gather consumer insights and conduct interviews and focus group discussions with your customers. They will then give you feedback about the issues that have been faced with your product or service, and what areas either need improvement or are completely satisfactory already.
Monitor Your Social Media Accounts
Many people are using social media these days, both in their personal and professional lives. People also love to interact with popular businesses’ social media accounts, especially if they know they’ll get a response. You can get real-time feedback about your product or service by monitoring your social media accounts and reading through the comments. You can ask questions to your followers on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and other social media platforms and ask them about their experience with your company, things they like or don’t like, and see real-time reactions to promotions, announcements, or contests your company could hold. You can also ask them what they think could be improved.
It is important to remember that not all the comments are going to be helpful or constructive. It might be best to put filters on allowed responses if the platform includes the option, or to only check in every once in a while. Hiring someone to manage the accounts may also be a good idea, as they’ll have the best idea of how to make posts, interact with other users, and will know what’s helpful to you or not when it comes to feedback.
Use Customer Reviews
Many websites allow people to leave reviews about a particular product or service. Some popular sites include Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Angie’s List. You can use these reviews to get feedback about your product or service.
Create a Customer Feedback Loop
When you get customer feedback, it is good to have a system that helps you analyze the information they give you and then respond appropriately, especially within an appropriate amount of time. By creating a customer feedback loop, you can keep track of all the feedback you receive and generate more by responding. This lets people know there is someone out there listening, and that it might be worth it to make their voices known. Use this information to improve your business strategies and processes, and also to generate general interest or notoriety for your business and your brand.
In conclusion, customer feedback is a very important tool for business growth. Especially when you’re first starting out, it’s important to learn as quickly as you can what does work and what doesn’t work. You can take from examples of the past, what’s worked for other businesses, but it’s important to remember that the markets are ever-changing. You need to be able to change with it, otherwise, it’s less and less likely you’ll be noticed as you try to get attention through irrelevant or unpopular means. It is the only way to know what customers think and feel about your product or service. It allows you to make improvements in your business processes and strategy, slowly growing and changing to be the best version of your business that you can be over time.
