You're here to get better at collecting customer feedback. But where do you start? Knowing which methods and software will work best for your business can be overwhelming with so many different methods and software. So if you feel your suggestion box or surveys aren't cutting it, keep reading.

Why is customer feedback important?

Like most humans, we have an inherent need for feedback. Are you doing this right? Will customers like my product? That's because the risk of failing is usually at the top of our minds. Now how do we get the validation we crave? Feedback. Even businesses need feedback. Apps, websites, products, and services come at a cost, and you better believe that there are processes in place to secure and that the product meets the market's needs. The purpose of customer feedback is to open a communication channel for a company and give the customer a voice to be heard by the organization.

Here are the benefits of collecting customer feedback:

1) Understand your customers' needs and preferences

Gathering customer feedback is an excellent way to understand your customer's needs and preferences. By asking your customers about their experiences and opinions, you can understand what they like and dislike about your product or service. 

2) Identify areas to improve your offering

One of the most significant benefits of customer feedback is that it can help you identify areas where your product or service can be improved. Feedback can help you see areas of your business that may need to be improved. It can also help you identify trends and patterns in customer complaints or issues, which can be used by product and support teams to address problems more effectively.

3) Learn key drivers in customer satisfaction and loyalty

Customer feedback is a valuable tool for understanding what drives customer satisfaction and loyalty. By collecting feedback, you can gain insights into what your customers value most about your business. You can use this information to prioritize improving the customer experience and building loyalty. By identifying key customer satisfaction and loyalty drivers, you can focus on what matters most to your customers and create a positive brand image.

4) Establishes trust and loyalty with your customers

Gathering customer feedback is a great way to establish trust and loyalty. You can create a positive relationship with your customers by showing that you care about their opinions and are willing to listen to their feedback. When customers feel heard and understood, they are likelier to become loyal fans of your brand.

5) Builds opportunities for positive reviews and referrals

Customer feedback can help build opportunities for positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. By listening to your customers and making changes based on their feedback, you can create a better overall experience for your customers. 

6) Generates Valuable Research and Competitive Intelligence

By understanding what your customers want and need, you can stay ahead of the competition and create products or services that meet those needs. You can also gain insights into your competitors' strengths and weaknesses by analyzing feedback from customers who have used their products or services. 

7) Encourages Customer Relationships

Customer feedback can encourage customer relationships by promoting engagement and interaction. When you actively seek feedback from your customers, you show them that you care about their opinions and value their input. 

8) Prevents Problems Before They Become Bigger Concerns

Collecting customer feedback can help you identify and address potential problems or issues before they become bigger concerns. You can spot trends or patterns in customer complaints or issues by paying attention to customer feedback. By proactively addressing customer concerns, you can build trust and loyalty with your customers and create a better overall experience.

Types of customer feedback

Feedback takes many forms, some more valuable at answering specific questions and giving you a status of your product or service's performance. Here's an outline of different types of customer feedback:

• Direct feedback: Feedback given directly to you by the customer, either in person or through a feedback channel such as email, chat, or phone. 
• Indirect feedback: Feedback given to you indirectly, such as through social media posts, reviews, or comments. Indirect feedback can be valuable for understanding how customers perceive your brand or products, but it can also be more difficult to interpret or act on.
• Behavioral feedback: Inferred from customer behavior or analytics, such as website clicks, time on page, or search queries. Behavioral feedback can be valuable for understanding how customers interact with your products or services but may not provide insight into their underlying thoughts or emotions.
• Solicited feedback: Feedback sought by the company, such as through surveys, polls, or focus groups. Solicited feedback can be valuable for understanding specific aspects of the customer experience but may not capture the full range of customer opinions.
• Unsolicited feedback: Feedback given without prompting, such as through customer support interactions or social media posts. Unsolicited feedback can be valuable for understanding unexpected issues or areas of concern, but it may not represent the broader customer base.
• Qualitative feedback: Rich, descriptive information about the customer experience is obtained from customers by a company through open-ended questions, interviews, or focus groups, and it often provides insights into customer attitudes, motivations, and pain points. Qualitative feedback is valuable for understanding the "why" behind customer behavior.
• Quantitative feedback: Numerical data about the customer experience is collected from customers by organizations through surveys, polls, or website analytics, and it often provides insights into customer behaviors, preferences, and satisfaction levels. Quantitative feedback is valuable for identifying trends or patterns in customer behavior or preferences, but it may not provide a deep understanding of the underlying motivations or emotions.

How to collect customer feedback

Gathering customer feedback is useful for so many company positions. Still, not all positions are trained in how to gather feedback. Here is a list of ways feedback can be collected from customers:

#1 Chat, Email, and Phone Support

Online chat, email, and phone support are great channels for gathering customer feedback. Customers with questions or need assistance often share their experiences and opinions. By offering online chat, email, and phone support, you can collect valuable customer feedback that can help you improve your products or services.

When offering online chat, email, and phone support, it's important to provide prompt and effective responses. Customers who wait a long time to get a response or receive an unhelpful reply are less likely to provide feedback. Here are some tips for offering effective online chat, email, and phone support:

• Respond promptly: Respond to chat messages, emails, and phone calls as quickly as possible, ideally within a few hours.
• Be clear and concise: Provide clear and concise information in your responses. Avoid using technical jargon or complicated language.
• Show empathy: Let them know you're there to help.
• Ask for feedback: At the end of each chat conversation, email exchange, or phone call, ask the customer for feedback. Keep the feedback request short and simple.
• Follow up: If a customer has an ongoing issue, follow up with them to ensure the problem has been resolved.

#2 Follow-ups to Support

Following up after a customer support session is a great way to gather customer feedback. By asking for feedback immediately after the session, you can collect valuable insights that can help you improve your support offerings. When asking for feedback after a customer support session, it's important to keep the process straightforward. Here are some tips for getting useful feedback:

• Use a short survey: Keep the survey short and focused on the customer's experience. Include questions that are easy to answer, such as a rating scale or multiple-choice questions.
• Ask open-ended questions: In addition to a rating scale or multiple-choice questions, ask open-ended questions that allow customers to provide more detailed feedback. For example, ask, "What did you like best about our support service?" or "What could we improve?"
• Respond to feedback: Respond promptly and let customers know their feedback has been heard. If a customer suggests improvement, consider implementing it and letting them know you've taken action.

#3 Feedback Forms

Feedback forms are a great way to collect customer feedback on your website. By placing feedback forms on different pages of your website, you can collect valuable insights that can help you improve your website's design and functionality and your products or services.

When placing feedback forms on your website, it's important to make them easily accessible and user-friendly. Here are some tips for creating effective feedback forms:

• Keep it short: Keep the feedback form short and to the point. Include questions that are easy to answer and avoid long, complicated forms.
• Use clear and concise language: Use clear and concise language in your feedback form. Avoid technical jargon or complicated language that may confuse or frustrate users.
• Make it easy to find: Place the feedback form on different pages of your website where users are likely to see it. Consider placing it in your website's footer or a prominent location on your homepage.
• Include a thank you message: After a user submits a feedback form, include a thank you message that lets them know their feedback has been received and is appreciated.
• Offer an incentive: Consider offering an incentive, such as a discount code or free trial, to users who complete the feedback form. This can increase the response rate and encourage users to provide thoughtful feedback.

#4 Social Media

Social media is great for gathering customer feedback. By engaging with your customers on social media, you can collect valuable insights that can help you improve your products or services and your social media strategy.

When using social media to gather feedback, it's important to engage with your customers in an authentic and genuine way. Here are some tips for engaging with customers on social media:

• Monitor mentions and comments: Monitor mentions and comments on social media to see what customers are saying about your brand. Respond to both positive and negative comments to show that you are listening.
• Ask questions: Ask questions on social media to encourage engagement and gather feedback. For example, you could ask customers about a new product or feature.
• Use polls and surveys: Use polls and surveys on social media to gather customer feedback. Polls are a great way to get quick feedback on a specific topic, while surveys can provide more detailed insights.
• Respond promptly: Respond promptly to comments and messages on social media. Customers who feel heard are more likely to provide feedback in the future.
• Thank customers for their feedback: Thank customers for their feedback on social media, whether positive or negative. Let them know that their feedback is appreciated and will be used to improve your products or services.

#5 Customer Interviews

Gathering feedback through phone calls or interviews can be a great way to collect in-depth feedback. By conducting phone interviews, you can collect valuable insights that can help you improve your products or services and your customer support offerings.

When gathering feedback through phone calls, being prepared and professional is important. Here are some tips for making effective calls:

• Prepare a script: Before making a call, prepare a script that includes the questions you want to ask. This will help you stay on track and gather all the necessary information.
• Be polite and professional: When making a call, be polite and professional. Introduce yourself and explain why you're calling. Let the customer know that their feedback is important to you.
• Be an active listener: Listen actively to what the customer is saying. Take notes and ask follow-up questions to gather more detailed feedback.
• Keep it short and focused: Keep the call short and focused on the customer's feedback. Avoid making marketing offers or trying to sell products or services.
• Follow up with a thank-you note: After the call, follow up with a thank-you note that lets the customer know their feedback is appreciated. This can help build stronger relationships with your customers.

#6 Product Testing

Product testing can be a great way to gather customer opinions. By allowing customers to test your products, you can collect valuable insights to help you improve your products and services before launching them.

When conducting product testing, it's important to be organized and thorough. Here are some tips for effective product testing:

• Recruit the right participants: Recruit participants who are part of your target audience to ensure you get relevant feedback. Use customer databases, social media, or third-party recruitment services to find participants.
• Provide clear instructions: Provide clear instructions to participants on how to test the product and what kind of feedback you're looking for. Being clear with participants ensures they provide useful feedback.
• Test in real-world situations: Test the product in real-world situations to better understand how it performs in different environments. This can help you identify potential issues and make improvements.
• Use surveys and feedback forms: Use surveys and feedback forms to gather participant feedback. Standardized forms can help you collect structured data that you can analyze more easily.
• Follow up with participants: Follow up with participants after the testing is complete to thank them for their participation and gather any additional feedback. 

#7 Analytics and Metrics

Analytics and metrics can be a great way to learn customer behaviours. By analyzing data such as website traffic, page views, and click-through rates, you can gain valuable insights into how customers interact with your brand and identify areas for improvement.

When using analytics to gather feedback, it's important to be data-driven and analytical. Here are some tips for analyzing data effectively:

• Set clear goals: Before analyzing data, set clear goals for what you want to achieve. This will help you focus your efforts and ensure that you're gathering the right insights.
• Use various tools: Use a variety of tools to gather data, such as Google Analytics, heatmaps, and A/B testing. This can help you collect comprehensive data that you can analyze.
• Look for patterns: Look for patterns in your data to identify trends and areas for improvement. For example, a high bounce rate on a particular page may indicate that the page needs to be redesigned.
• Compare data over time: Compare data over time to identify changes in customer behavior and track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
• Use data to inform decision-making: Use the insights gained from analytics to inform decision-making and make data-driven decisions about improving your products and services.

#8 Online Community Threads

Online communities can be a great way to gather feedback from your customers. By creating a space where customers can interact with each other and with your brand, you can collect valuable insights into their needs, preferences, and experiences.

When creating an online community, fostering a sense of community and encouraging engagement is important. Here are some tips for creating effective online communities:

• Choose the right platform: Choose a platform that is easy to use and suits the needs of your community. Popular options include Facebook groups, Reddit, and Slack.
• Set clear rules and guidelines: Set clear rules and guidelines for your community to ensure that discussions are productive and respectful. Enforce these rules consistently to maintain a positive atmosphere.
• Foster engagement: Start discussions, ask questions, and respond to comments. Encourage members to share their experiences and opinions.
• Collect feedback: Collect feedback by monitoring discussions and identifying common themes and issues. Use this feedback to inform decision-making and improve your products and services.
• Show appreciation: Show appreciation for your community members by thanking them for their contributions and highlighting their feedback. This can help build stronger relationships with your customers.

#9 Surveys and Polls

Surveys and polls can be a great way to gather customer attitudes and opinions. You can collect valuable insights into customer needs, preferences, and experiences by asking targeted questions.

When creating surveys and polls, keeping them short and focused is important. Here are some tips for creating effective surveys and polls:

• Define your objectives: Define your objectives for the survey or poll to ensure that you're asking the right questions and collecting the right data.
• Keep it short: Keep surveys and polls short and focused on maximizing participation. Avoid asking unnecessary or open-ended questions.
• Use multiple choice questions: Use multiple choice questions to make it easy for customers to respond and to ensure that you collect structured data that is easy to analyze.
• Offer incentives: Discounts or freebies to encourage participation and improve response rates, but can bias your data.
• Collect demographic data: Collect demographic data such as age, gender, and location to understand your customers better and tailor your offerings to their needs.
• Analyze results: Analyze the results of your surveys and polls to identify trends and areas for improvement. Use this feedback to inform decision-making and improve your products and services.

#10 Customer Events or User Groups

User groups can be a great way to gather customer feedback. By bringing together customers who share a common interest in your products or services, you can collect valuable insights into their needs, preferences, and experiences.

When organizing customer events or user groups, creating a welcoming atmosphere and encouraging participation is important. Here are some tips for creating effective customer events or user groups:

• Choose the right format: Choose a format that suits the needs and preferences of your customers. This could be a webinar, a conference, a meetup, or a user group.
• Create an agenda: Create an agenda that focuses on topics of interest to your customers. Allow time for open discussions and Q&A sessions to encourage participation.
• Invite customer feedback: Invite customer feedback throughout the event or user group. Encourage customers to share their experiences and opinions and ask for suggestions for improvement.
• Follow up after the event: Follow up to thank customers for their participation and collect additional feedback. Use this feedback to inform decision-making and improve your products and services.
• Foster community: Foster a sense of community by encouraging attendees to connect and your brand. This can help build stronger relationships with your customers and increase customer loyalty.

#11 In-app Feedback

Gather customer insights while using your product or service. By directly incorporating feedback forms or surveys into your app, you can collect real-time insights into customer needs, preferences, and experiences.

When implementing in-app feedback, it's crucial to make it easy for customers to provide feedback without interrupting their user experience. Here are some tips for implementing effective in-app feedback:

• Choose the right timing: Choose the right timing to ask for feedback. This could be after a customer completes a task or interacts with a specific feature.
• Keep it short: Keep feedback forms or surveys short and focused on maximizing participation. Avoid asking unnecessary or open-ended questions.
• Use clear language: Use precise language and straightforward, jargon-free questions to make it easy for customers to understand and respond.
• Respond quickly: Respond quickly to customer feedback to show that you value their input and are committed to making improvements.
• Analyze results: Analyze the results of your in-app feedback to identify trends and areas for improvement. Use this feedback to inform decision-making and improve your products and services.

The Highlight Reel of FAQs for Customer Feedback

What is an accurate way to collect customer feedback?

Our favorite is product testing, which combines the actual context of using the product in a natural environment. Ensuring you find suitable testers and don't bias their feedback, you can get a wealth of information from product testing.

How do you take feedback from customers?

It's important to create channels customers feel comfortable with and can easily navigate, like online chat, email, phone, social media, or feedback forms. Once you have gathered feedback, it's crucial to analyze it thoroughly and act on it to improve your products and services.

What is the fastest way to obtain customer feedback?

The fastest way to obtain customer feedback is through in-app or online surveys, but it depends on what kind of feedback you need and what volume. In-app feedback allows customers to provide feedback while using your product or service, while online surveys can be distributed to many customers quickly and easily. 

How do you collect and analyze customer feedback?

Once you have gathered feedback, analyze it thoroughly to identify trends and areas for improvement through sentiment analysis or quantifying with response coding. Use this feedback to inform decision-making and improve your products and services.

How do you collect feedback in a fun way?

Collecting feedback can be fun and engaging for customers by using gamification or interactive surveys. For example, you could create a quiz or game incorporating feedback questions or use interactive elements like sliders or emojis to gather feedback. 

How do you ask for feedback creatively?

Asking for feedback creatively can involve using different formats or approaches to gather feedback, such as videos, podcasts, or social media polls. You can also incentivize customers to provide feedback by offering discounts, prizes, or other rewards. Making the feedback process easy and convenient for customers to maximize participation is important.

How do you collect feedback informally?

Informal feedback can be gathered through social media, online forums, or direct customer conversations. This can be a valuable source of feedback, as customers are often more candid in informal settings. However, it's important to take this feedback with a grain of salt and corroborate it with other sources to ensure its validity.

How do you gather feedback from participants?

Participants' feedback can be gathered through surveys, focus groups, or interviews. It's essential to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere to encourage participation and to use open-ended questions to gather detailed feedback. Once you have gathered feedback, analyze it thoroughly to identify trends and areas for improvement.

Are you looking to learn more about collecting feedback from customers during development? Check out this guide!