Customer feedback software may sound daunting, but the right solution can actually be really simple, and even save you a ton of time and headaches. Here we cover what you should look for in customer feedback software for your business.
"We don't need electricity; these oil lamps work just fine."
"We don't need a phone line; our customers can come into the store with questions."
"We don't need computers; writing orders by hand has always worked."
"We don't need customer feedback software; asking customers in person for their feedback is fine for us."
Some business owners have always been resistant to progress. After all, if the business is doing well, changing anything feels risky. But progress rolls on anyway, and anyone who resists adopting new technology risks getting left in the dust by savvier competitors.
All that makes sense, right? There's just one thing left to solve, then: Just what the heck is customer feedback software, and how do you pick the right software for your business?
The Customer Is Always Right... Right?
Whether you run a pizza place, a theme park or a one-man shop specializing in hand-carved paperweights, your business is nothing without customers. When they're happy and like what you provide, they keep coming back. Hopefully they tell friends, neighbors and perfect strangers that you're worth checking out.
When a customer is not happy, maybe they'll just stop showing up. But often, they'll make it their mission to make sure that everyone, including your current customers, hears about their complaints.
You can't keep those folks from posting negative reviews online or ranting on Facebook about your flaws, but you can do two things in response: make them feel heard (and address their complaints if necessary) and drown out their negative reviews by getting happy customers to write positive reviews.
Your Customers Are Keeping Secrets
All your customers - whether they love you, hate you or don't care either way - have something priceless to share with you, and that's feedback.
Knowing what it's like to be your customer can reveal all sorts of information. Maybe people don't like walking through your doors because the steps are wobbly, the temperature is too low, and the cashier is grumpy. Maybe customers love coming to your business but are annoyed at how long the waits are. Or maybe you're the one business in the world that's doing everything right and shouldn't change a thing.
It's your customers who can unlock those answers. But they're busy and distracted, and it wouldn't occur to most of them to walk up to you and start listing all your pros and cons.
So most people will keep that feedback to themselves, unless they're diligent Yelpers. You'll keep guessing at ways to improve your business, because asking each customer individually for feedback is too labor-intensive to be viable.
Or you could take the guesswork out of things and use customer feedback software.
Customer Feedback Software: What It Is, Why It Matters
Embracing software that helps you improve your business and lighten your load should be a no-brainer, but many business owners and managers don't know about the options out there.
Basically, customer feedback software helps businesses gather input from the people who use their services. Some types offers tools that allow you to put surveys, examples of recent feedback and other features on your website. Some help businesses monitor their online reviews. Some focus on analytics that help businesses track and optimize their website traffic.
Effective customer feedback software helps you connect with your customers. It allows you to gather their useful feedback, but it also shows your customers that you're invested in hearing their input. That's hugely important. People like to feel valued, especially when they're giving you their money. Failing to connect with customers creates friction that hurts your business and your reputation.
How to Choose
Whether you have one employee or 1,000 - and whether you have one customer or 1,000 -- you can benefit from customer feedback software, if you know how to pick the right type.
The right customer feedback software should:
- Be customizable. The tools that you need to improve your business aren't the same tools that the business next door needs.
- Fit your budget. Find software that offers a tiered pricing system so you can get exactly what you need.
- Be easy to use. Some software programs are so complicated that it takes someone truly tech-savvy to set up and operate them. Opt for a user-friendly program that staff and customers of any age or experience level can navigate.
- Encourage customers to write reviews. Customer feedback is valuable for your purposes, but it's valuable to other people too. Getting a steady stream of positive reviews on sites like Yelp, Google and Facebook has a domino effect that can dramatically improve your reputation.
An automated system like ReputationStacker ticks all those boxes. As a business owner or manager, focus on giving customers a positive experience and great service and let ReputationStacker handle the rest.
Simply enter a customer's email address or phone number into the system and it automatically reaches out with a one-question survey, gathering valuable customer feedback and getting your happy customers to post reviews on the online review sites of your choice.
Get Feedback, Get Better
Customers are a business's best asset. Find out what they think you're doing well, and what they think you could improve, using customer feedback software.
Identify the happy customers and get them to write reviews - thereby attracting new customers - using ReputationStacker. Find the plan that's tailored to your organization's needs and get started making your business the best it can be.
