If you want to build a sustainable business, you must be vigilant about making improvements. But it’s not as simple as copying your competitors’ every move or implementing the strategies from your favorite podcast! Every business is unique, so it stands that your growth journey won’t look like anyone else’s.
So, how do you know where to start when it comes to improving your business? Listen to those with first-hand experience! In other words, look to your clients for insight. After all, nobody knows your strengths and weaknesses like someone who has gone through your customer experience.
Start seeing long-term results by following these steps to revamp your business based on meaningful client feedback.
Be intentional about collecting feedback
Asking for feedback might feel uncomfortable initially, especially when you expect points of criticism. However, you’ll never know how to improve if you don’t understand where you fall short!
Remove any emotions from the feedback process and ask your clients for transparency. Encourage them to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly (with the understanding that negative feedback presents an opportunity for growth). Sure, a glowing five-star review is exciting, but you should put just as much stock into the critical feedback that points you in a better direction.
If you haven’t already done so, create a questionnaire for clients to complete after their event. Include questions about what went well and what could have been done differently. Then, build this questionnaire into your offboarding process so every customer has a chance to voice their opinions.
While it’s wise to request online reviews on public-facing websites, a private questionnaire invites people to provide honest feedback. Plus, you can ask specific questions to understand their responses better.
Assess the gaps in your business
Now, it’s time to address your clients’ feedback. Each month or quarter, sit down to review all of the responses together. Pick a cadence that fits into your schedule without feeling like a burden. Honor the positive feedback, but pay careful attention to the negative comments that come up.
Were customers disappointed in slow response times? Did they show disappointment that you don’t offer a particular product or service? Are there technical concerns that created challenges in your collaborative process?
While these issues might seem like setbacks, they’re actually opportunities to improve for future clients! Perhaps you incorporate automated email responses to cut down on turnaround time. Or maybe you can expand your offerings to provide clients with a full-service experience. Listen to your clients, identify your weaknesses, and start making plans to fix them for future customers.
Make lasting changes with your team
Once you have a game plan for addressing your clients’ feedback, it’s time to put it into action. One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is trying to change everything at once. But if you think you can launch a new service while updating to a better POS system and changing your client journey, you’re in for a challenging time.
Instead of taking on more than you and your team can handle, start with the area that will most impact your client experience. Sit down with your team to discuss your ideas for optimizing your business operations. Since they have their hands in the mix, you need their support to implement change, and they’ll provide a unique perspective on what’s most urgent.
Your clients offer an invaluable source of feedback that can help you uplevel your business and ensure future customer satisfaction. But before you can make positive changes, you have to ask the important questions!
