Effective ways to gather customer feedback

Organizations rely on client input to improve their services and products. It’s integral for consumers to respond, positively or negatively, to bolster business insight, but they might not always comply with these requests. Companies can use a few effective methods to gather quality customer feedback.

1. Ask at point of sale

You’ll want to get clients’ feedback while the interaction is still fresh in their minds. Requesting a response directly from the source post-sale and before they finalize their transactions can help gather information quickly. As YFS Magazine noted, it’s important to make the customer feel comfortable and to share the real reasons you need the feedback. This will increase the amount of input received and bolster feedback quality.

2. Use a survey

Surveys are the tried-and-true method of gathering and sorting feedback. Online forms provide customers with a convenient means of providing their opinions without being put on the spot. When a customer has finished a purchase, send him or her a follow-up email explaining the importance of his or her feedback and how it can benefit everyone. Make sure that you only send one feedback request, as multiple email attempts can be seen as spam, Inc contributor AJ Agrawal noted. Keep the survey short and sweet to ensure full engagement. In addition to email, organizations can offer surveys in store on over mobile and text-messaging formats. The customer to choose the method they prefer from these survey options.

3. Send a card

Customers are more likely to build a relationship with an organization when they feel their business is appreciated. A custom business greeting card not only recognizes the client’s transactions, but that the company is actively listening to feedback and suggestions as well, Business 2 Community noted. A card can make feedback requests and responses more meaningful and fun for customers. A lighthearted, dynamic, well-designed card can capture attention and elicit more responses than a standard survey while providing the same means of convenience.

Feedback is essential for gaining insight into consumer behaviors and trends. As these factors continue to change, businesses need effective ways to gather quality input to leverage for continual improvements. Organizations have a number of options to make their methods unique and engaging to elicit more responses.