Tools for getting feedback

All tools that measure feedback are best used in an atmosphere of trust. They should be used to gather useful information as a way to improve products and services, not as weapons or methods for assigning blame or punishing people. And all tools should measure both positive and negative feedback.

Listening posts include:

Web sites. Your company's Web site offers an excellent arena for obtaining customer feedback quickly and easily. Make the most of e-mail functionality by soliciting general feedback prominently on your site and posting e-mail addresses for designated contact people. Scan bulletin boards either on your site or look at those of competitors to find out what people are saying about your products or services.

• Audits. Audits take many forms. Perhaps the most popular among them is "mystery shopping." Mystery shopping may consist of actual visits to retail or other business sites, calls to customer service providers, or the actual consumption of either products or services. It is thought to offer a high degree of objectivity, although employees can regard it as unfair or even as "spying," if not evenly conducted to identify ways in which efforts can be improved.
• Market research. Many large corporations hire market research firms to do extensive studies that explore demographics, lifestyles, buying habits, preferences, and buying patterns. Small businesses may not be able to commission such extensive studies, but they can get data from the Small Business Administration.
• Focus groups. There are many kinds of focus groups, from small, informal meetings to elaborate, carefully orchestrated sessions. An informal group of customers from a target market can help a company testing an initial product idea, design, or concept. As the product develops, the company may begin to conduct more geographically expansive, professionally organized focus groups. Focus groups are excellent for testing products and services, but the focus group phenomenon can send an unfocused company into disarray as it becomes unable to think clearly in the face of often contradictory results.
• The ordering process. One of the most overlooked listening posts is the ordering process. Whether an order is taken in person, over the phone, or on the Web, valuable information can be obtained from customers by asking the right questions and listening carefully at this contact point.
• Satisfaction cards. Most service industries give customers a chance to fill out guest satisfaction cards. Today, they're prevalent in industries like food and lodging, health care, and automotive care.
• Surveys. A well-designed survey can help you determine what you are doing to deliver the greatest satisfaction, or lack of it. More elaborate than a satisfaction card, a survey measures many areas of satisfaction. Sometimes a written survey is followed up with a phone interview. Information gathered from surveys can be used to replicate the most successful strategies and solve the problem areas.
• The customer service process. Complaints that arise in the course of serving a customer should be carefully studied and responded to promptly. At one successful hotel chain, when a customer complains, it is noted on a Guest Incident Form and entered that day into a database so that other hotel personnel can be notified. This helps employees know that the guest may need special attention.
• Follow-up satisfaction calls. Recently, many organizations have established a follow-up satisfaction call as another listening post in their customer relationships. More elaborate than a card, but less involved than a comprehensive survey, the follow-up call is a personal, brief phone call that takes place shortly after a transaction. A representative calls the customer to make sure that everything is okay and ask a few, simple questions about their products and services.

The well-trained representative can spot service recovery problems before they begin, and can reveal more general information about what the target customer values or does not value.

For example, a major optical company calls customers about a week after they buy a pair of glasses. They check to make sure that the glasses fit properly, and invite the customer in for a follow-up fitting. At that time, representatives also ask a few other, brief questions that measure satisfaction. This "extra" service distinguishes this optical company from its competitors, and helps ensure repeat business.

Follow-up calls are also excellent marketing tools, establishing a feeling of trust between the company and the customer. A follow-up satisfaction call should be a sincere effort to ask about and provide service. It should not be used to "sell." If the caller uses a satisfaction call as a trick to "push" products, the customer will become annoyed.