How to Make Your Customers Give Honest Feedback

It is vital for businesses to collect quality feedback from customers in order to improve their satisfaction level and service experience. However, most clients find it hard and time taking to answer feedback questions. Many give responses just for the sake of completing feedback forms. So what is the best method to obtain honest feedback from customers? The basic problem with most feedback forms is that they are either too lengthy or have rating scales that are confusing for the respondents. Simplifying the forms is likely to get you desired results. Surveys sent to clients usually have a scripted tone; this is one reason most customers don’t bother answering them since they are bored of receiving such requests from so many companies. Adding a personal touch to your feedback forms would compel your clients to share their honest opinion with you, since they would feel you really care about how they rate your products/service. Have a look at some tips to make your customers give honest feedback!

Keep Your Feedback Questions Short, Clear and Relevant

The first and foremost thing you need to consider about your survey forms is making them short, clear and to the point. People can’t spare 15-20 minutes filling a feedback form that has 20 questions, so keep it short. Don’t include questions that are confusing, keep your rating scales consistent throughout the form to receive accurate responses, use agree, disagree instead of numbers. Add a couple of open ended questions as well so that your clients can give their opinions and suggestions about customer experience. Encourage criticism, give your clients all the right to share their views about your product/service and appreciate their honesty.

Take Feedback at Your Customers’ Convenience

Another issue with taking feedback is not taking into consideration clients’ convenience. The most appropriate time to take feedback is after a customer interaction, so you can either ask at the time he/she is about to leave or send an email within a day or two. Sending a survey after a long time has passed is not likely to get you a response because he/she might have forgotten about the experience. Also if a client is not responding to your feedback e-mail, avoid sending frequent reminders, it would lead to annoying that client and is likely to create a negative impression about your business.

Add a Personal Touch to Your Customer Surveys

Adding a personal touch to your surveys is likely to get you honest responses from clients since they would feel they are talking to a person. Using an informal and friendly tone would make them feel that you have remembered them and want their valuable suggestions to improve future experience. Start your feedback email with thanking and appreciating clients, mentioning their names and then request them to fill in the form that will take a few minutes. Similarly, if you are calling a customer, start the conversation with a thank you and then ask his/her views about the experience.

Customers Prefer Mobile Friendly Feedback Forms

These days most people browse business websites on their smartphones rather than computers. Online shoppers also prefer picking and purchasing products through their phones now. So in order to get feedback from customers, make your feedback forms mobile friendly. Given the option to fill forms online through phones would increase the response rate. Keep the questions minimal and the rating scales easy to click and choose through phone keys. This would give your clients the convenience to fill surveys whenever and wherever they want.

Show Your Customers How You are Utilizing Feedback

Many customers don’t respond to surveys because they think their suggestions are not implemented and feedback is just a process. In order to make them believe that you are utilizing feedback to improve your product/service, give them proof. While sending feedback request to clients give a brief overview of how you have used the feedback in developing and improving your offers or service. This would encourage your clients to share their ideas and suggestions in detail because they would know that you are actually giving value to what they want.