Do you know why FEEDBACK is important?

For the purpose of this article, wherever I use the word ‘Service Provider’ it includes the people who supply goods or services and the word ‘Customer’ includes the people who purchase goods or services for business.

Customer – In his best interests, it is advisable for him to give feedback about the goods or services supplied by his service providers. Generally, no service provider will like to lose his clientele. Every service provider will listen to constructive feedback and try his best to overcome the shortcomings.

Service Provider – In the interest of retaining customers and also to grow his business, it is advisable for him to seek feedback about the goods or services from his customers.

As a customer I admire the feedback system adopted by three companies (there are others, I am not discounting them!)  namely, Mahindra Club, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors. Whenever I have availed services from these companies, they passionately took my feedback. Sometimes, it was a bit irritating, but overall I liked their method of taking a customer’s feedback.

For the benefit of all, I have compiled some of the points relating to Feedback. Hope this helps –

Service Provider –

• Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from the customers. Devise a simple format (may be a questionnaire) to seek vital information. If you find this as a tedious process, send a 2 line mail to the customers seeking their feedback. This will do.

• Don’t take the feedback personally. After all, your idea is to improve the business and enhance the service quality. Take the feedback, however it may be, in a positive way.

• Feedback is not another document. It is a‘document of importance’. Analyze the feedback and of course correct wherever it is feasible and achievable.

Customer –

• Please give your honest feedback. Remember, no service provider will have an evil intent while giving service or goods. If you are a service provider, will you aspire to lose the customers? Same is the case with every service provider.

• When you give your feedback, don’t be harsh. If your intention is to improve the quality of service or goods, let your feedback be very objectively worded. Drafting harsh mails will be of poor taste. Harsh words will only break hearts!

• If you are happy with 9 out of 10 things, mention that “all are good except …………” This will enhance the morale of the service provider.

• Let your feedback not look like a complaint. Some of them always crib over the services. They behave as if they are born to complain. Think for a while, will complaints ever help? If you feel that your service provider is good, take him into confidence and give him the right feedback. Also most importantly, have the patience of lending your ears to their problems.

• Feedback is not always one sided. Business is multilateral. Before you open your mouth, just for your sake, check whether you have honored the commitments made to the service provider. Are you paying him timely for the services? He is also like you an entrepreneur; he has to run his show! Be broad minded and large hearted! Keep yourself morally fit to give good feedback.

• Try to be positive in your approach. Even if you have to give a negative feedback, try and make it more constructive in nature. Let it not look like ‘taunting or blaming’ someone.

Artists –

For service providers customer is the king and for artists the audience is everything. Like service providers even artists such as actors, writers, authors, musicians, sportsmen will be looking for feedback. You will know what it takes to be like them, only when you try to do it. Be generous when you give a positive feedback; be sober when you have to give a negative but constructive feedback. Consider giving feedback as an opportunity to motivate!

Thought for the day

Feedback when given well, should not alienate the receiver of the feedback, but should motivate them to perform better.

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