We all know it’s important to ask for customer feedback, right? But, did you know that the timing of your request is absolutely critical?
Based on 100,000+ customer interactions, we've found that following up with customers the day after their service is the best way to ensure that you get high response rates filled with helpful information.
If your schedule is too packed to send feedback requests on a daily basis, then your next best option is to send them on a weekly basis. If you fall behind these sorts of timeframes, response rates can start to dial down.
Asking customers about their experience once a month is okay, but waiting six months to see how you did ends up being a bit of a time-waster. 12 months after you walked out the door? Honestly, there's probably not much point, as there's a good chance they won't even remember you!
To help you uncover the true value of following up with customers quickly, we've compiled a list of the 6 main reasons to ask your customers for feedback on a daily basis.
Let's start with a quick experiment. Of the following messages, which would you be more likely to respond to?
A) Hey mate, how was your gardening service yesterday? Are you happy with how we trimmed the hedges?
or
b) Hey mate, how was your gardening service last winter? Let us know if you liked the way we pruned the rose bush.
... I rest my case!
The chance of a customer taking a minute to provide feedback (whether it's good, bad or ugly) is much higher if you ask as soon as possible. The more feedback you gather, the more data you have to work with. And the more data you have, the sooner you can identify trends and use that data to identify what you need to focus on to improve.
Strike while the iron’s hot, as the saying goes.
If you have a happy customer, you want them to shout the name of your friendly receptionist from the rooftops, and they’re much more likely to leave detailed feedback with names and buzzwords if you check in with them 24 hours after their visit.
If you ask about their great experience 2 weeks after they walked out the front door, you might be lucky enough to receive a 5-star Google review, but chances are it won't have a blurb or explanation about why you're the best in town. Basically, great impressions only hang in someone's mind for a while. After a period of time, the excitement about your great service tends to wear off, and the customer is less inclined to think back two weeks, recollect their memory and write a review about why it was so good.
We call that a missed opportunity. Bittersweet!
Similarly, an unhappy customer that replies with “not happy” doesn't necessarily provide very helpful feedback! Whereas, a customer who writes a novel about the waiting room being too cold, the service sticker on the window being crooked, and the booking link with a spelling mistake is annoying but has helped you identify valuable areas of improvement.
By following up with a customer while their experience is fresh mind, you’re more likely to be met with detailed and thorough feedback you can use to your advantage.
That's right. A steady flow of Google reviews is one of the most effective ways to rapidly improve Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). But, how?
Google has a reputation to uphold and they want to be seen promoting the best of the best. If you can prove that you have a regular stream of satisfied customers, your listing will be recognised by Google's algorithms and your Google Business Profile will begin ranking higher in search results... without spending a cent.
As we explained above, by asking for feedback quickly, a customer is more likely to take a minute to share their experience in the form of a 5 star rating on Google.
In addition, if it was a recent experience, there's a higher chance that 5-star rating will be descriptive, exciting and packed full of reasons that prove you're the local business people should choose to spend their money with.
Google loves new and detailed reviews and your prospective customers will be looking for them too it too. In fact, 85% of online consumers don't trust a review that is more than 3 months old!
Let's put it this way. If you have 10 happy customers in a week, and then no reviews for 6 months, it ends up looking a bit off-kilter, but 2 happy customer reviews every week clearly demonstrates that you're constantly wowing your clients.
In a nutshell, Google recognises that consistency is key, and prioritises accounts that reflect a consistent addition to new customer reviews.
Reaching out to your customers the day after their interaction with your business gives you the opportunity to identify an unhappy chappy before they can even think about starting to spread bad word of mouth.
When people have a ‘less-great’ experience, you know they're going to share it with their friends, or even worse: post it online. But, if you reach out and request that feedback fast, it shows you genuinely care about your customer experience and want to make things right.
By addressing a problem before it has the time to snowball, you automatically create a golden opportunity to transform those once-unhappy customers into loyal returnees.
When someone feels heard and appreciated, they're more likely to sing your praises, giving you some awesome word-of-mouth action. A full 360 customer experience!
What if there is a problem and you don’t know about it?
Say you're the manager of a local restaurant, surrounded by competitors also offering promises of mouth-watering delight. What if your chef has been using salt instead of sugar since the start of the month when the delivery arrived, but no one said anything?
Now it’s the 18th, the restaurant is empty and you’re only just hearing about it after you picked up the phone to ask your regulars why you haven’t seen them in weeks?!
Sure, you'd hope that someone spoke up, but many people won't, and simply won't return for another round of salty pancakes. Following up with customers regularly helps you identify problems ASAP and keeps your service operating at its finest.
Promptly reaching out to a customer shows you care. Customers will keep coming back for more if they feel that their patronage is valued and that their opinion matters. Retaining existing business is a whole lot easier than attracting new customers so make sure you’re following up with customers quickly to show how much they mean to you.
So there you have it!
Now you know why it’s so important to have a regular feedback process in place. Google loves it, your existing customers love it and your future customers demand it!
Asking someone for their feedback quickly can save a whole lot of heartbreak too if you’re not doing it already, we recommend you implement a feedback system yesterday!
It can be as simple as adding a “let us know how we did” link to the bottom of your email signature or you could go the extra mile by calling, emailing or texting a customer the day after they have been in store.
Setting 15 minutes aside each day to seek feedback is a must-do task to help your business grow but if you’re struggling to find the time or need a hand managing all that feedback, an easy-to-use software platform like betterbunch can be a great place to start. Reach out to the team to have a chat about how we may be able to help you level up your business, or skip the chat and book your demo here!