One of the most powerful ways to develop stellar customer service for your business is by gathering feedback from those you’ve already worked with. This can help you to determine what things you are doing right, and identify areas that may need a little more work. So how does one go about gathering this important information from their customers? Here are 4 simple ways that you can encourage your customers to provide you with valuable feedback.

Offer them something in return. It’s always easier to garner responses when you offer an incentive. Offer customers a discount, giveaway or entry into a contest in exchange for sharing their opinions and sharing information about their experience. Not only will this tactic work for honing your marketing and customer service strategies, but it can also encourage repeat business. 

Use QR codes. By now you’ve probably noticed those odd looking little boxes of black squiggly code showing up on everything from print ads to business cards. These are like modern day bar codes that can be programmed to contain just about anything – including feedback surveys. All your customers will need to do is scan the QR code with their smartphone and they’ll be able to instantly provide feedback. It doesn’t get any easier than that! (Check out Kaywa for an easy, free way to generate your own QR codes.)

Go mobile. There’s no doubt about it – mobile and smartphone usage is only going to continue to increase, so you might as well take advantage. Make it easy for your customers to share their feedback via their mobile device. As a bonus, when a survey can be completed right away following the service, there is a much greater rate of participation. Make it easy and make it instant.

Let them text it! Not only is SMS text messaging a great tool for gathering instant feedback, but it’s also a great way to manage customer service complaints in a timely manner. Check with your phone system provider to see if they offer inbound SMS as a feature (we know someone who does!), and put it to use. 

 

Listening to your customers is critical to the ongoing success of your business. By following these tips, you’ll be able to start gathering valuable feedback and turning that feedback into better service and improved future sales.