1. Don’t start measuring customer feedback unless you are prepared to go all-in
Many times we hear comments such as “we would like to start by doing one single survey to get a better understanding of the situation right now and then we will see how to proceed”. Unless you really want to listen to your customers and start acting on their feedback, it might actually be better to just send them a gift. If you start asking questions, your customers will expect you to take action based on their feedback, and most of them will expect you to get back to them in person.
2. Forget about Excel and PowerPoint reports – live data is the new black
Sure, it is very comfortable to work in your spreadsheets or PowerPoint templates, but to really work efficiently, you will need to make customer feedback visible in real time to your colleagues, your management group or/and directly to your customers.
3. You cannot outsource understanding your customers
If you don´t know what to ask your customers you should probably think about it one more time. Knowing your customers is the one thing you cannot outsource and listening to them is a process that should be deeply implemented in your company’s core business. Putting your trust in a third party to bring you your customer insights will only lead to misunderstandings, confusion and demotivated employees. In the long run, who will really know your customers best?
4. Don’t take the easy way out – start measuring customer feedback where you know it hurts
If your company is struggling with increasing churn rates, for example, this is exactly where you need to start. What are the actual reasons your customers are leaving your company? Is it the product, customer service or the personal contact? Uncovering these reasons might hurt and lead to painful decisions, but not finding out could be devastating for your company. If the churn rate is not the problem, but you have a hard time getting new customers on board, you should probably start by doing a win/loss analysis. Why are customers turning down your proposals? Understanding why customers say yes is important; understanding why they say no is crucial.
5. Don’t fall into the “pricetrap”
If you really care about your customers and if you really want to start working with customer feedback on a regular basis, don´t fall for the cheapest alternative on the market. I know companies that are buying fruit baskets for more money than they invest in understanding their customers. I am not saying you should not eat fruit, but working with customer feedback is something you should take very seriously so look into several options before making your decision.
Try out how it works in reality
So, you have decided to start listening to your customers – here is some useful advice to help you pick the right feedback management solution. Smart companies realise the importance of listening to and acting on customer feedback. Feedback will give you critical insights that lead to better decisions, development, loyal customers, growth and more engaged employees. There are several solutions for online surveys and feedback management and you should always evaluate different options. Try our solution and get a survey sample delivered to your phone.
