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Article: Strategic Planning From Customer Feedback
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Most companies are good at adjusting the complaint of a customer so
the customer is satisfied. However, dissatisfied customers do not voice
their complaint 96% of the time. It behooves every business to keep in
touch with their customers to determine how their business is performing.
To check the status of your business in the mind of a patron, there are
3 effective ways to gather feedback.
1. Written Surveys
Make a list of specific questions to ask buyers about your business,
such as:
- What would you like for us to start doing?
- What would you like us to stop doing?
- Rate employee courtesy.
- Anticipated future product and service
needs
- Rate products and services quality
- Ask what they like about your
competitors
- Comments
If surveys are mailed, include a postage paid return envelope and offer
an
incentive to complete the form. Two-dollar bills, movie tickets, or other
valuable items are great incentives for completing the survey. If the survey
is done
in a
meeting environment, no incentives are necessary.
2. Meal Time Survey
Ask a group of 4 or 5 customers to a luxury lunch and seek their
feedback to the
above mentioned questions. The host and facilitator should make everyone
feel
that their contribution is important . A list of ideas for validating
good practices
and areas for improvement should be constructed by the facilitator.
The meeting
will last about 90 minutes. Send a thank you letter along with the
summary list of
the group's contribution. The group will be ambassadors for the business
if you
keep them in the loop of new policies by sending them updates for a
period of
about 4 months. This system works best with an outside facilitator.
3. Telephone Surveys
Telephone surveys are very valuable for getting quick feedback
from your customers. Notify customers that a specific person will
be contacting them by telephone to ask a few questions about improving
your customer service. This notification will give
them the chance
to buy in or to opt out of the survey. The telephone surveyor will ask
approximately 7 questions. Most of the time the survey will last
only a
minute
because that’s all the time respondents want to give. Generate
a report
summarizing the findings. The telephone survey is good to do before a
major
change is implemented. Most of the time the feedback changes implementation
strategy.
Keep your business finger on the pulse of your customer's feelings about
your company. It will drive the company forward in the right direction.
For more information about customized Customer Loyalty Surveys, contact
Jim Rooney at or call 325-463-5546
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