Customer Service and Feedback Importance

I like FEEDBACK: both to give and to receive.

What?

I realize that in our Asian/Vietnamese culture, we have something called "keeping face" and "losing face.". Therefore, we Asian people avoid giving feedback to others and also don't know how to receive it when we have to.

Why?

Constructive feedback is a very good opportunity for us to learn about ourselves, what and how we are doing on the outside, and others. Indeed, what distinguishes a friend or a foe is the care and the dare to give feedback, to let others know where our shortcomings are to improve.

In business, customer service, or customer support, is the department with the main purpose of receiving and responding to customer feedback. A business that knows how to listen to its customers is a winning one. The level of client satisfaction determines a company's success. When a business is starting up, to gain market share, customers come "first," followed by profit. (Shah et Rai, 2022).

More statistics on brand loyalty and customer service, according to the Medallia survey:

• 96.2% of customers would leave a brand if there's a mismatch between customer service expectations and customer experience;
• 62% are willing to pay more for excellent customer service;
• Before contacting, 66% of customers attempt to resolve the problem on their own (come back to the 'What' above)
• And when the problem can't be solved, 36% of them will actively share their experience on social media.

Where and When?

Today I went to have my first drink at a rising coffee and tea brand at one of their branches in Ho Chi Minh City. After ordering, I was thrilled to explore their 3-level store, thinking this was the place for my online work after long hours of sitting. Everything seemed fine except, hmm, the music! It was too loud, and they were playing V-pop songs (understood festival season is coming, but yet still). I could barely focus on this music, and I noticed the nearby table with a group of 4-5 people on their work laptops raising their voices to talk through the others.

Should I just suffer from the noisy music and tell myself to skip this coffee shop the next time, or should I let them know?

How?

By chance—a good practice indeed—there was a card along with my order, where it read, They are willing to hear the customer's feedback just by scanning the QR code and filling out an online form. I decided to give them a try (my care and tendency to give feedback) and let them know they should adjust their music in the store. Either to those who come to chit-chat with others or to work by themselves, the music is destroying the customer experience here.

By the time I finished my drink, I noticed the music had suddenly stopped playing. Then I received a call from Hanoi number, a person saying they're customer support, and they received my feedback form about the music.

Conclusion

It is such a rewarding experience to be listened and understood as a person or as a customer. My takeaway for business owners (as a person who studied MBA and worked as CEO assistant), there are effective yet low-cost activities you can do to improve your business, just by actively listening from your customers. This doesn't mean you take all feedback rigidly but consider carefully and adjust consciously to the way you operate your business from your customers' feedbacks would do greatly to your business. This won't require a lot of costs (and sometimes, preventing you from a greater loss later). In your employee training, consider putting in the training on how to receive feedback effectively. Encourage and reward customers who gives constructive feedback and make your customer feels they are a part of making the business better.

As for me, I will keep giving feedback where I can and also looking to receive and take in feedback to improve myself.

All the Best ?