4 Ways to Garner Customer Feedback
If you’re an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical contractor, you know how competitive of an environment you’re working in. Day in and day out you strive to acquire new clients while retaining old ones, but in order to really build upon your client base, it’s essential you are gathering feedback about their experience.
The truth is, your customers are giving feedback about your business whether you’re on the receiving end of the information or not. Word travels quickly, and in a culture where consumers rely heavily on reviews, what your clients have to say about their experience with your company can really make or break your reputation.
Why not give your clients multiple opportunities to provide feedback straight to you? That way you can pinpoint areas that might need strengthening, personally resolve any issues that may have left a customer unsatisfied, and also see the areas where your company shines brightest.
Check out these four ways to solicit actionable client feedback!
• Delight Them
Don’t think delighting customers in the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical field is a critical part of the job? Think again! You can show up on time, carry out a top-notch job, and leave a client satisfied with the work done, but the client would simply see that as you doing what is expected, and nothing more.
Follow that job up with some freshly baked goodies delivered straight to their doorstep, and suddenly your company’s reputation goes from doing what’s expected, to going above and beyond for your clients. That kind of gesture garners feedback because it’s not only unexpected, but it’s also way out-of-the-box. Consumers love feeling like someone has gone out of their way to value them and so they reciprocate with more feedbck, and chances are they’ll be excited to share about it through positive reviews online and by word-of-mouth with their friends and family!
They get a yummy treat, and you get valuable feedback. It’s a win-win situation all around!
• Ask Them
Have you ever heard the saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know”? Well, it’s time to change that. It’s time you’re in the know when it comes to your customers’ thoughts, feelings and likelihood of using you again in the future. It’s time you’re in the know when it comes to potential areas in your business that could use some improvement or attention. You know not, because you ask not. After you’ve completed a job, it’s crucial you act quickly to follow up with the customer about their experience. Online surveys are great for this, and most consumers in today’s world not only expect to receive a survey on large purchases, but even plan to complete one.
To make the most of your survey and increase the chances of your clients filling them out, simply adhere to the following best practices:
- Keep it short. If your survey can be completed fairly quickly, people will be more likely to participate.
- Make it adaptable. While some of your clients may complete the survey via their computer or laptop, in today’s mobile age it’s important your survey has a mobile version for easy display for those who wish to give their feedback on the go.
- Ask what matters most. Really think about the type of information you want to gather, and craft your questions from there! Don’t waste time asking about things you don’t have the power to change. Focus on obtaining feedback that allows you to make actionable changes.
- And finally, include an unexpected gift with your survey. Clients of ours who send a survey with a gift, realize a 60% higher rate of return than those who send the survey only. Did you get that? A 60% bump. That is a gargantuan difference! Any strategy that can move a needle 60% higher is a strategy worth using.
• Listen to Them
How do you keep those customers coming back for more? Listen to them. Really, it’s that simple! Chances are, even if a client had a poor experience the first time around, if you’ve given them the opportunity to share their feedback and listened to what they had to say about their experience, you can implement changes that can correct issues and ensure a better experience for them next time around.
You can understand your customers better by utilizing software that automatically organizes their feedback into actionable reports, providing real-time visibility into the customer experience and employee performance. Using up-to-the-minute analytics and customizable reports allows you to easily manage customer feedback and relationships.
By listening to your customers and acting upon their feedback as opposed to letting it go in one ear and out the other, you show your customer just how much you respect their opinion. When customers feel valued and understood, they respond with loyalty. It’s a cycle of appreciation that grows stronger with every exchange.
• Help Them
Even if all of your clients wanted to give feedback by providing a review, they may not all know how to do that. Make it easy for your customers to publish reviews on third-party sites like Google, Facebook, BBB, and more! You can do this by utilizing a single seamless system to distribute reviews across various online platforms.
Remember, make sure everyone gets the chance to leave a review. Consumers appreciate transparency and understand no one is perfect. Plus, if you’re providing excellent customer service and experienced professionals who strive to go above and beyond, you’ve got nothing to worry about! Sit back, relax, and watch those happy, helpful reviews pop up on third-party sites.
Download the To Your Success E-Book Today
At To Your Success, we’ve been helping companies across the nation for the past 20 years achieve growth by gathering actionable feedback. Want to learn more about our unique system that delights, asks, listens, and helps to create loyal customers? Download our free e-book, Building the Ultimate Customer Loyalty & Retention Program, today!
