Customer feedback- more important than ever

Customer Feedback Terminals

Every business needs customer feedback in order to improve quality of product and service. One of the digital tools that can be used to gather customer and employee feedback is the customer feedback terminal. These modern terminals usually consist of a kiosk (to afford privacy) equipped with a touch screen or screen linked to a keyboard.

Customers or employees are shown questionnaires that they are asked to complete or asked to perform other tasks that will provide their views on product, performance or other facets of a business.

The data from these terminals are gathered and analysed and can contribute to ongoing analysis of feedback.

Customer feedback terminals are often placed at points of sale or service so that customers can provide feedback in real time immediately after and even during their accessing the product or service. The terminals can also be incorporated into web pages, social network and live chat forums, emails and newsletters distributed to customers and employees.

Uses of customer feedback terminals

The information gathered from customer feedback terminals contributes to a body of data that allows detailed analysis of the way in which product or service and business overall is viewed by the customers, or employees. Such feedback is invaluable as it allows the assessment of the quality of product or service. This assessment feeds directly into decision-making regarding product development and purchase or service development.

Today’s social media make acquiring customer opinion easier than ever before. As well as the ease with which opinion can be given, customers have become acclimatised to being asked for their views and will often give them freely.

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The importance of good customer service

A high number of consumers place great importance on their experience of service rather than the price they have to pay. A number of consumers would agree that they are willing to pay a higher price for products and services if their customer service experience is better. Consumers are more likely to stay with a business that offers good customer service and addresses positively any concerns they raise.

The use of Customer Feedback Terminals provides direct feedback on what consumers think about their customer service experience.

The effectiveness of customer feedback terminals

Customer feedback terminals, regardless of their nature have demonstrated their effectiveness in gathering the views of consumers about their experiences. The results are available instantly and can be rapidly analysed and lessons learnt applied.

The actionable nature of the information gleaned through Customer Feedback Terminal exercises means that a business is able to rapidly respond to customer requests, for example in improving customer service at point of sale or service delivery. Flaws in products or services are highlighted, as are issued related to their delivery, distribution and packaging.

Delivering positive customer service experience is an organic and ongoing process that thrives on customer feedback. That feedback needs to be continuously sought out and acted upon. By doing so business can improve, increase sales, nurture existing customers who will remain loyal and attract new ones.

What used to be called word of mouth has now become serious customer feedback that can be disseminated amongst a large population through social media. A business that makes the effort to seek out customer feedback and acts upon it can do much to ensure that unsolicited customer feedback remains more positive than negative. Customers who feel they are heard are more likely to take a favourable view of a business even if they have issues. If those issues are then acted upon, this will go even further to enhance general positive customer feedback.