Six Sigma, a codified improvement process, uses “voice of the customer” in business and information technology to describe the capture of client expectations, preferences, and dislikes. Without going into the various ways to collect that information—you can read books on the topic—the analysis of customer feedback leads to identification as to what your business does well and what needs improvement. It may even reveal aspects of your service that customers don’t know about, don’t use, or don’t want.
Customer feedback need not refer specifically to clients who pay for your products or services. It may instead focus on the various departments within your company. For instance, the marketing department serves the sales department which serves the engineering or design department. The various departments—even if a single person is the said “department”—perform separate functions that ultimately serve to keep the company in business. For instance, if the marketing department fails in its task to build awareness and demand, then the sales department must work extra-hard to secure an income. If the sales department promises something the designer cannot produce, then they fail the people who provide the product or service being sold.
To emphasize a truism, the key to customer feedback lies in communication. When your customers tell you what they want, listen and act accordingly to ensure you’re solving the problem they want you to solve. In short, using feedback keeps customers happy and happy customers become repeat customers.
Not all feedback is created equal. Obviously, everyone enjoys the warm, fuzzy feelings that positive feedback inspires. Just ask any author whose book sales depend upon positive reader reviews. Take a look at the LinkedIn profile for anyone who truly uses the platform to expand a business and professional network. Do you review hotel or restaurant reviews before making a reservation? Be sure to distinguish between critical and negative feedback and learn from both. Details improve the quality of the feedback.
Critical feedback offers value not only in what’s said, but what’s not said. A negative review that simply states “I hated it” not only stings, but also lacks the detail needed to consider a change in operation or policy. A book review that lambasts a character in the story does not necessarily refer to the author’s skill as a storyteller. Even the occasional negative review can add verisimilitude to amalgamated online reviews. Vendors should consider responding to negative reviews in such as way as to express regret for an unsatisfactory experience and offer a solution to resolve the issue.
When reviewing feedback, look for trends. Like grading on a bell curve, the outlying scores often have little bearing upon the majority of customer experiences.
The manner of feedback matters, too, especially when giving feedback to colleagues. Entrepreneur states that the offer to provide feedback “can be perceived that the person giving the feedback is somehow superior to the person receiving it, putting the receiver on the defense.” In advising how to give productive feedback, Entrepreneur emphasizes civility, safety, praise, and detail. In other words, don’t make the recipient look foolish or incompetent. Objective, productive feedback more often leads to remedial action and improvement.
The Heggen Group works with executives to assist them in formulating and implementing the processes to listen to their internal and external clients and improve the operation of their businesses because the satisfying internal client needs results in streamlined, efficient operation and satisfying external client needs results in business growth.
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