The importance of Customer Feedback & Research Planning

We have all gotten those customer feedback surveys at the end of a phone call. A company wants to ask us a few questions to gauge our experience right? But if you are like me, or have worked in customer service before, you might leave that customer service agent the highest rating possible regardless of what is being asked.

The issue here lies in what is the company even trying to measure, why, and how will they use your feedback (if they even do)?

Often we are being asked vague questions with a subjective response rating. For example, one question I was actually asked was "On a scale of 1 to 9, 9 being the best, would you hire the representative if you had your own business?". Is the result of this question to help me as a customer? Or is it to rate the representatives performance - impacting their employment?

Before you start asking random questions to your customers, it is key to define a few things for your business.

• Define the context, what is the need that is calling for data collection?

• Build your research background by outline your objectives and defining your subject

• Document assumptions & unknowns

• Develop the research purpose and approach

After all this, then you can decide the methods that best suit achieving your purpose! Maybe it is a survey...but it could be something else like interviews, observations, usability studies, prototyping, etc. Work to finalize your plan, determine a timeline, and create your research materials.

Customer data and insights are key to improving your business processes and services. When we approach collecting and understanding this information in a structured way, you won't risk oversimplifying their experience with the data you collect!

Need help with that?

Timbre is here to help you develop your research plan, collect & analyze customer data, and turn those insights into information and tools you can use to improve your business! Reach out today.