Introduction
A company is an organisation and an organisation needs to grow just like anybody. Most times, companies focus on customer satisfaction which is a good thing for success. Without knowing what the customers appreciate or look forward to, it becomes difficult for any organisation to move forward. An organisation, like a person, needs to be aware of itself. Self-awareness fuels improvement which leads to ultimate success.
Below are some ways in which organisations can use feedback to improve self-awareness:
- Create free surveys and polls – by creating surveys and polls, you can get a sense and feeling of what customers think of a certain topic linked to your organisation. For example, as an organisation, you can create a survey or a poll on what people think it is like working with you.
- Testimonials – the use of testimonials can create a real sense of what it is like to work with your brand. Testimonials come from previous and/or existing clients who want to shed a light on their experience of working with you. With these, trust can be built and can be used to attract other potential customers. Seeing the real experience, may show the company what they are good at and help to improve on that. Learn more about getting customer testimonials from this VocalVideo article.
- Social media feedback – Social media is a very strong tool that any organisation can use to improve themselves. Most people feel they can be free on social media and these are platforms where they say and let out their honest opinions on situations happening around them. For example, a small incident can take place at a company, someone can record or write a post of their experience and people can comment on it. In these comments, many customers can air out what they feel about your organisation, whether good or bad. The power of the search and filtering tool on these sites may also add an advantage to the business. It is as simple as typing in the company name and any post that is affiliated with them will come up. This is a good way to see what is going outside your company.
- Website reviews – Having visitors put reviews on your company’s website can help create a positive image of your services and products. When potential clients visit the website, they can see what other people have said and their experience of working with you as an organisation. According to GeoMarketing (2020), website reviews help a business rank higher on search engines. So when someone searches for your company on the organisation, it is more likely to show up near the top of the search results. Another reason why having reviews on your website, like testimonials, create a sense of trust and a longing to work with you as a brand. Yes, there may be some negative reviews from time to time and although these may pose a threat to how people view the business, they give a chance for the company to improve in these areas. It is better to know where one is going wrong and try everything they can do to make those experiences better. When customers can see that the organisation is making an effort to do better, they might come back if they notice an actual change in how the business is being conducted.
- Customer feedback – Customer feedback can be both negative and positive for an organisation. Anything that a customer says about the organisation can be regarded as feedback. It can also help in recognising good and bad employees in your organisation. In some reviews, customers make sure that they mention specific employee names for both positive and negative reasons. When an employee is constantly being mentioned for negative reasons, it may be a sign that managers need to speak to them to get a feel of what is really happening. This may be a reason why customer satisfaction may be low, depending on the industry of the organisation. On the other hand, an employee may be mentioned for positive reasons. Perhaps, they are very good with customers and many people enjoy being served by them. In this case, it would be a great opportunity to thank them and motivate them to do better. Organisations need to recognise their strengths and weaknesses so they can press on or let go.
By using these ways of feedback, organisations can increase sales and increase their visibility in the digital world and the real world. Credibility is great for any company and when feedback is given, potential customers can be drawn towards your organisation. Whether you offer products or services, this will be beneficial for the company at large.
Sales can be affected by the feedback that the organisation receives. When someone sees a negative comment on your company, it can affect their decision to do business with you. Looking at companies like Amazon or Munch service delivery companies. Customers can read what other people say about them and will influence whether or not they are used in certain cases. If one is careful to take the negative feedback and improve on these comments, customers who have experienced the change in the organisation can defend the company. In this defensive, that credibility can increase sales for the company.
When customers provide feedback and the organisations respond, it shows customers that the company is not solely existing to make money. It is important to remember that buying from a business can affect the emotional aspect of those transactions. By showing customers that the organisation takes their opinions about it seriously, customer loyalty can be increased because everyone wants their voice to be heard.
Finally, using feedback can help organisations evolve themselves. Just because people did not like a service or product, it can be a map towards a different direction for your organisation. Managers must always remember that feedback, good or bad will help in the success of the company. A company cannot exist on its own and most businesses exist because of a lack of a certain good or service in the market. Listen to the people who require those and drive the organisation forward.
Thandeka Madziwanyika is a Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, a management and human resources consulting firm. Phone +263 (242) 481946-48/481950 or cell number +263 78 318 0936 or email: thandeka@ipcconsultants.com or visit our website at www.ipcconsultants.com