One of the most important terms to me has been “unfiltered feedback”.
How many people are familiar with that term? Unfortunately, not too many.
A quick explanation of unfiltered feedback is this:
- Your employee or customer has a problem with your business.
- They do not tell you, and if they do it is a watered down version. “Oh it’s okay; it was just a little thing.”
- Unfiltered feedback is that while they were in the store a customer service rep was having a poor day, and yelled at them at the counter.
- WHAT…now how is that going to impact your store?
If you have an employee, business front, website, lighting, that is costing you customers you need to know about it now. Unfiltered feedback is that important. As much as it sucks sometimes to hear the awful truth, it is even more important to make it better.
Here is an example of unfiltered feedback. There are some cashiers that I will avoid at all costs. I will go into another line just to avoid them. Why? I don’t know them, I have no contact with them outside the checkout counter, but they are painfully slow.
A great quote is that, “It is never stupid to ask a question, as you can almost guarantee that someone else wants to ask the same question.” Let’s twist that a bit, “If your customer has had a bad experience, you can almost guarantee that another customer has had a bad experience, and they are telling their friends about it.
Here’s your action item –
If you are uncomfortable talking with your customers, then start with some close friends and ask them what problems they see with your business. Then move onto satisfied customers and then ultimately onto everyone who uses your business. It is so important to create avenues, that people feel comfortable with, for them to provide unfiltered feedback, and… they are not punished for doing so.
I just want to add one disclaimer – the customer is not always right. A man once entered a bakery, strolled up to the counter, and demanded a choice cut of beef. The Baker replied that they were a bakery and that he should try the meat shop next door. Infuriated the man spun on his heels and fumed out slamming the door behind him.
That is a radical example with a simple point. There is a reason it is called feedback, you still have to evaluate the customers’ demands and decide if they are reasonable or if it makes sense with your target market.