The hard facts
Most people are well aware that good service is key to a business’s success. However, the service that business owners and employees think they are giving, can be at odds with their customers' experience.
Consider these facts:
- The average business loses 20 per cent of their customer base every year and most don’t know why
- 68 per cent of consumers say they are willing to pay up to 20 per cent more to stay with an organisation offering exceptional service
- People who complain most frequently are also most likely to pay more
- The ‘best service’ companies are more than 26 times more likely to increase customer retention
Source: ICS/NationalComplaintsCultureSurvey2006,NYSE:HHS
What's stopping feedback?
It is said that 96 per cent of those people who are dissatisfied say nothing, so it is up to you to encourage your customers to give you feedback, and not presume that no news means good news.
Of all the reasons cited for customers who stopped using a service company, 68 per cent said that it was due to employee indifference.
It is easy for people not to give feedback so you have to be clear on the benefits and persuade your visitors to ‘tell you what they think’.
Feedback doesn’t have to mean bad news
We often shy away from asking for feedback where customers may tell us something we don’t want to hear. However there is no such thing as bad feedback – as it will allow you to improve your customer experience.
Top tips
- Feedback isn’t any use unless you do something with it
- Think of the feedback that you are asked for as a customer and take notice of how the questions make you feel
- Word of mouth is the strongest form of marketing. Make sure that it works in your favour
- There are lots of different types of feedback. Make sure you encourage a broad range from your customers
- Welcome complaints and act on them. They are a way to improve your business
- What are customers asking for that you don’t currently provide?