Customer feedback often provides critical insights that help improve CX. In addition, it is an excellent source for measuring and benchmarking the quality of experiences.
There are many sources of customer feedback, including social media, third-party review sites, and even analytics tools. These may offer positive, negative, or simply constructive insights, from which companies can spot trends and gain learnings.
To make the most of such fruitful sources of customer feedback, here are 11 excellent collection methods.
1. Discussions With Contact Center Agent
As one of the most popular methods of collecting customer feedback, surveys collect feedback regarding a specific issue that the company wants to investigate. Yet, there are other types of surveys, such as a satisfaction survey, which investigate what drives customer happiness. These surveys are typically run through tools such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms. More advanced survey tools also exist - including Medallia and Qualtrics - for companies looking to piece together a more comprehensive feedback strategy.
2. Customer Surveys
As one of the most popular methods of collecting customer feedback, surveys collect feedback regarding a specific issue that the company wants to investigate. Yet, there are other types of surveys, such as a satisfaction survey, which investigates what drives customer happiness. These surveys are typically run through tools such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms. More advanced survey tools also exist - including Medallia and Qualtrics - for companies looking to piece together a more comprehensive feedback strategy.
3. Customer Interviews
Interviewing willing customers opens up a deeper conversation that allows companies to add more color to particular issues with qualitative information. These one-on-one exchanges also help them understand the drivers and emotions behind customer decisions. Tracking trends in customer responses enables companies to understand customer behaviors better.
4. Customer Panels
Some companies choose to create a panel of volunteer customers to whom they periodically send questions regarding their experiences. These will likely include a mixture of customers who have left good, bad, and mediocre feedback - with those taking part typically incentivized. Such a feedback mechanism allows companies to gather survey-based insights without risking fatigue.
5. Social Media Polls
Social media polls are a quick and effective way of getting customer feedback. Many organizations rely on social media posts and channels to learn about consumer sentiment – but polls are an equally effective tactic. Why? Because social media allow companies to delve into specific issues and make it easy for customers to respond in just one click. Further, social media platforms often value polls above other types of content, which makes it more likely to garner visibility and engagement.
6. Independent Research
Turning to independent research improves the credibility of the surveys, as they typically gather feedback through objective and scientific methods, ensuring customer confidentiality and inspiring confidence. Also, with third-party involvement, customers are likely to be more honest and share unbiased opinions. Furthermore, independent research firms can often benchmark various CX metrics between a company and its competitors, highlighting possible differentiation opportunities.