A survey by EcoConsultancy.com found that 70 percent of consumers trust reviews by other consumers more than descriptions of products or services generated by companies themselves. To make sure that customers are satisfied and writing positive reviews, companies can aim to gauge their customers’ satisfaction through surveys and other means of communication.
Branding campaigns that advertise these customer feedback options will also serve to increase brand awareness while educating consumers as to their options for filing a complaint or complimenting a service. Customers can be enticed to write a review of a product or service by offering a gift card or promotional product giveaway for providing their feedback.
Creating a website or email account specifically for the purpose of customer feedback is one simple and effective solution for small businesses that don’t have a big budget for surveys or big online review initiatives. Businesses that choose to reserve a special spot on their websites for customer feedback should ensure that they have a final check on all reviews before the comments are posted.
Companies must next decide how they will use the information they receive. If customer feedback is overwhelmingly in favor of a certain promotion, companies will know to maintain or expand the initiative. Negative feedback can be used constructively to determine which elements of a service are not being well-received.