Are online feedback forms worth all the effort? After all, only a small percentage of your customers will be bothered to complete it. That’s a lot of anticipation to get a few desultory dribs and drabs returned. 

The answer is ‘Yes’, but only if you accept that you are unlikely to be overwhelmed by responses, and you plan effectively. 

The biggest mistake many companies make is frequency. At one end of the scale we have requests for feedback at every interface. On the other, we get the dreaded annual form that comes six months after you had that brilliant idea for improvement but have now forgotten.

Come to a decision as to the optimum frequency for your specific business model, although be prepared to change it in accordance with the returns. For instance, if you sell high value products, so actually interface with a specific customer every six months or so, then you might opt for one every purchase with every chance of it being optimum. Your decision is made.

However, what if you sell on a weekly basis to some customers? One sure way of ensuring they go elsewhere is to hit them with a request for feedback at every purchase. One option that many use is to send a form at every interface unless one had been sent in the preceding three months or so. It’s not a compromise, but an informed decision. 

The next question is when to ask for feedback. The general rule seems to be at the end of the transaction. There are a number of routes to this. The one finding favour with the email marketing companies is a request, such as ‘Are you willing to complete our feedback form?’. 

If I’ve had a poor experience, I certainly will, and with vigour, and exactly the same where a staff member has gone that extra bit further. 

It is essential to present the form in a way that makes it easy for the person to access it. Just one click is the best way. They are giving their time, so giving them work to do is counter-productive. Make the form easy to complete. Work out the minimum number of question that will make the investment of your time worthwhile. You can always experiment with split testing to find what your customers will accept.

Once you have the returns, and don’t expect to be inundated, sift through to see if there is a common criticism of processes or a suggestion that you can see will improve an aspect of your business. Work the change into your systems promptly. That’s what they will probably expect.

Surveys are a great way of discovering what your customers want. They cost a bit, but they can also deliver a bit more.