What are the best practices for following up with customers after receiving their feedback?

In my experience at mintfinancialgroup.com as a nationwide business lender, nothing means more than the saying "time is money". The businesses we help are busy with their day-to-day and need to be heard based on their questions and concerns so being able to promptly respond by text, email, voicemail, or social media quickly puts a client at ease. A previous client saw marketing material that showed rates as low as 7.75% , when the client obtained their approval with a higher rate, they voiced their opinion about not receiving the lowest rate but after quickly explaining by phone, and memorializing our conversation by email & text about the requirements to obtain a lower rate they understood the situation and we still closed the deal.

I have found that the best way to respond to customer feedback is to acknowledge their concern right away. It could mean that you're responding with acknowledgment but not necessarily any answer or details but at least giving the customer the awareness that you are looking into it. If the feedback is going to take more time to look into follow-up with them to let them know you're still looking into it, but as soon as you have an answer or the information you need to write back. You also want to be sure that you think the customer for their feedback as it is used to improve the customer experience for all customers.

Let your customers feel valued by answering their feedback within 24 hrs. Thank them for their time and insight that you appreciate very much, and if they suggest anything new to change, by means of an example? Then tell them you will most definitely take a note of that and when you get into your next meeting with the team, see if there are ways of implementing it. Always feel humbled, yet professional in your answer to your customer. Afterall, you want them to come back and share their experiences with friends and family.

Signposting is a great way to close the loop. It show's you've listened, you've applied and the rest is history really. If you are unable to close the loop, then take it one step further and call them back later. But you have control of that conversation and you've guided them through the journey so by the end of it you should also be able to demonstrate your knowledge of what has happened and what will happen next. Always ask if there is anything else you can help them with at the end of the conversation.

One size doesn't fit all, and in the first sentence you will find that out, or the email you receive. Take time to read or listen and if you have the customer on the other end of the phone, ask those open questions. "Please would you mind to confirm your full name?" So is it ok if i call you "Jack?" "So tell me, what have you experienced so far Jack?" Using positive and different verbal nods. You may use the same question on everyone? You build their confidence by using empathy and at the end when signposting, you can offer a resolve.

This is one of those things we take for granted. But it speaks tons when you use it. In a call centre where you can allow that person to speak, you can remember it with sticky notes all over your monitor screen - don't forget to ask their permission before continuing? The first question is, "is this a good time to talk? or Do you have time to talk with me now?" The courtesy opens the doors to a wide valued field and that person feels the one in the call centre has got time to go that extra mile for them. Communicating this at the beginning puts the user at ease.

In the past I've been bitten in the butt by this last point in a fantastic service, if you don't tell them about how the grading works, they can mark you down the wrong way and it will make you look like you've done everything wrong. So telling them you have a CSAT form for them to fill in, about how you did today? Would they mind to fill it in before they put the phone down, will take about 10 secs to do, and 5 being outstanding and 1 being dreadful, you'd appreciate them to voice their views with their keypad on your performance, and the way the case has been handled TODAY, in the moment.

The timing of collecting feedback in important. To get a good engagement rate on feedback, i believe it is best to get feedback while you have the customer engaged, and in the same channel on which customer connected with you. If the feedback loop is delayed, or customer has an option to do it later, most of the times you wont hear back. And mostly when you hear back in such cases is when customer has had a really bad experience that they are willing to put time and effort into writing you a feedback. Make the process of providing feedback easy and soon after or when you have the customer engaged. This will lead to better results in my opinion.