Successful business owners know that no matter how busy they get, it's critical to take time to get customer feedback - to know exactly the type of service and experience their clients are getting. It's why shows like Undercover Boss exist today. In the event that you don't make it onto the show but are still looking for some valuable feedback, there are some easy ways to incorporate customer feedback into your business culture.
We heart feedback
First off, let me congratulate you on making the wise choice to pursue feedback. Understanding your customers' opinions will not only help you improve quality, it can give you insights into what new products or services you might offer in the future. Knowing what you're doing right also helps guide you about where to focus your energies, and it may even give you fodder for marketing. Plus, customers love to know that they have a voice and are being heard. (Who doesn't want to have their opinion matter?)
Back in the day, feedback used to mean having a suggestion box or maybe a form on your website (if you were tech savvy). Today, there are many low-cost approaches out there to help you take the pulse of your customers. Here are 4 easy ways to make customer feedback a core part of your business.
Conduct an online survey
Most companies get occasional fan mail - and those pesky critical e-mails from time to time. But before you jump through a bunch of hoops to correct whatever the squeaky wheel might be complaining about, it might be a good idea to survey more of your audience. It's a great way to determine what's a burning issue and what's merely an isolated incident. If you have email addresses for your customers, conducting an online survey can be a great way to get a variety of feedback from a large audience in a fairly short amount of time. A few tips regarding your survey: keep it short (5-10 questions) and only ask information that you really need/want responses for. If you're looking for a great online survey tool, we recommend SurveyMonkey, whose low-cost and web-based survey solutions are a natural fit for small businesses on a budget.
Once you've developed your survey, your next step is to get your customers to take it. We recommend offering an incentive for survey participation. (Bribery may be the best policy here!) You could enter them into a drawing for a free product or service - or offer a discount on their next purchase.
Ask for feedback via Facebook or Twitter
If you're just looking for some quick feedback, it could be as simple as posting a question or poll on your Facebook wall or via Twitter. This is a great way to get fast insights into new products, new branding or even new store locations or lines of business. If you have new marketing colors for your logo that you just can't decide between, post both (clearly marked A and B) and ask your friends or Twitter followers which they think represents your company the best.
Conduct a focus group
Focus groups are representatives of customers whose job is to provide you with information on their needs and preferences. This is a great way to ask follow-up questions and really dig deep into your customers' minds. Gather together some of your best (or a random assortment of recent) clients. Put them in a room and ask the tough questions. Really listen to what they say. You might be surprised by what comes out of their mouths! Additionally, it might help you realize that you have 2-3 types of customers: those who want convenience vs those who value personal attention. Whatever the case may be, you can use that information to help you target more of these valued customers in the future - as well as really take to heart the honest feedback they offer.
Use a feedback form
Another approach to getting customer feedback on an ongoing basis is a hosted feedback form. The point of a feedback box is to get small feedback from users on an ongoing basis. Most likely, if customers have a minor issue or suggestion, they won't reach out for support. (As opposed to how they come screaming if the problem is big enough.) If you have a feedback box, it offers a place for people to easily tell the company when something isn't working quite right. It's conveniently placed on your web page so it's easy to find, but it's also out of the way if they don't need it. Feel free to experiment with different locations to see which one encourages the most feedback from your customers. Once again, make it simple and easy to use, or you'll probably miss out on the feedback it was designed to catch.
Once you've conducted all your research, make sure you pay attention to the feedback. It doesn't necessarily mean that you'll opt to act on every single suggestion, but it's at least worth consideration. If you're collecting feedback from your customers consistently, you're building your business in the right direction. Experiment with various methods above and find the right combination that works for your business.
