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What to do with customer feedback to make your company amazing.

How would you feel if you expressed a complaint to a person and they walked away as if nothing had happened? That is exactly what companies are doing when they fail to act upon the feedback they receive.

The problem for many companies is not only processing the raw feedback, but knowing what do from there.

4 ways to put your customer feedback to use 

How a company responds to feedback can have a direct relation to customer loyalty and a company's reputation. Those that fail to take action risk alienating their customer base, and driving consumers to their competition. So, how should companies put customer feedback to use?

1. Be human. While it may not be reasonable to respond to each customer’s critique, neglecting the standouts can send out a passive expression of apathy, especially when they’re disappointed in your product or service. Some companies do the bare minimum: a form letter response of appreciation for their communication, but that may do more harm than good. When a consumer is irritated enough to complain, they want to know you understand their frustration, that you’re troubled by their experience, and that action will be taken. 

2. React. This seems basic, however, far too many businesses don’t have a structure in place for processing and responding to customer feedback. Enlist, or hire, employees to monitor, engage with, and react to the data provide by customers. This should include how the information is initially processed, what types of feedback merit responses and/or changes in the way you conduct business, a pool of positive comments so you can stay on track, and having a system in place for implementing feedback based changes to products or services. 

3. Boast. Positive feedback can be just as valuable to advertising as it is creatively. Customer testimonials are powerful. Think of it like this: which would you trust more, what a company tells you about themselves in order to sell you their product, or a customer who as nothing to gain by expressing their praise for that business? Whether it be through advertisements, or simply quoting them on your website, someone else boasting for you is significantly more effective than tooting your own horn.

4. Motivate your staff. Hall of Fame Kansas State football coach, Bill Snyder, has a press-savvy rule for his players: don’t give the competition any emotional fuel. In reverse, negative comments from opposing teams, coaches, reporters, and others are often posted for his players to see. As a business, consider turning this around: use your negative and positive feedback to motivate your staff to either improve, or continue to knock the socks off your client base.

Don’t neglect customer feedback tools

Collecting and processing customer feedback used to be a daunting task for businesses. Today, we have software for that. Tools ranging from creating simple online surveys, to organizing the results, have ushered in a golden era of consumer relations. If you’re not employing these tools, you’re missing the boat, and giving your competition an edge. 

Crewhu makes using customer feedback simple. Our online tools help business stay in the loop both internally, and externally. We encourage you to see for yourself: sign up for a free trial and start maximizing your company’s potential today.