Recently on my own blog I wrote a piece called: Is 2% OK with you? Five ways to dramatically improve your customer feedback survey response rates. In the article, I advocated for companies to do five things when asking their customers for feedback.
Here is a summary of the five things:
That’s all very well and good you may say.
However, last Saturday I found myself wondering if my own advice was sufficient.
Whilst I was out running an errand, I was listening to Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live. The show is a comic look at the world of sport, where invited guests compete for points with their sporting punditry.
Towards the end of the show, there is a segment called ‘Any Other Business’, where the guests are invited to share anything, even if it is not sport related, that has been on their minds this week.
Last week, UK broadcaster Lynsey Hooper was a guest on the show and when it came to her turn in the ‘Any Other Business’ section she said:
“Surveys. I am fed up with surveys. You go and get a coffee, you get a survey. You book a hotel, you get a survey. You go on a website, you get a survey. Every single time. All I want to say to anyone in customer service who is in a company out there at the moment ….…take it from me that unless told otherwise, I’m happy.”
That comment made me pay attention. It also made me think. It made me think about the five things that I had recommended.
Perhaps, because it was so out of context.
Perhaps, because it sounded so heart felt.
Now, Lynsey may only be one voice. But, I believe, her comment is worth considering and is a sentiment that may be shared by many.
I’m all for asking customers for feedback and for trying to do it well. But, I’m an even bigger fan of not annoying customers.
With that in mind, I’d like to propose a sixth recommendation to add to my list of ways to dramatically improve your customer feedback survey response rates and that is:
So, when it comes to asking your customers for feedback make it relevant and timely, keep it short, ask for their opinion, always report back but respect their time and effort and don’t do it too often.
Do that and you will be doing better than most.
This post was originally published on Forbes.com here.
Thanks to Adam Bowie for the image.
1 Comment
I do sometimes think that all a company has to do is focus on removing the reasons why customers complain and then they will do OK…