5 Feedback Methods More Effective Than Post-​Sale Surveys

BY Rachel Cagle
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Are you still relying on post-​sale surveys from your customers as your primary source of customer feedback? Old fashioned practices like that no longer cut it in a world where 65% of consumers are using mobile phones to provide feedback to businesses, according to Medallia.

Think about it. What are mobile devices associated with? One of the first words that comes to mind is probably speed. People use their mobile devices while they are on the go to quickly check their inboxes and social media profiles, find somewhere to eat, or talk to family, friends, and businesses. So, of the 41% of consumers who abandon filling out post-​sale surveys, it’s no wonder that 57% do so because there were too many questions and would, therefore, take up too much of their time.

But that’s if the consumer even opens the post-​sale survey to begin with. According to Medallia’s Customer Engagement Now study, 51% of consumers will not even open a survey. This is because these consumers feel the company will not take action based on their responses even if they do take the time to fill out the survey and return it to the sales rep. Why is that? It's because the company has not taken action on feedback that customers has given to them in the past.

Feedback Methods More Effective Than Post-​Sale Surveys

Here are the top contact methods customers like your clients are currently relying on to provide feedback to businesses:

  • Email: 50%
  • Phone: 32%
  • In-​Person: 28%
  • Social Media/​Online Review: 25%

Forty-​five percent of consumers say that they chose their preferred feedback channel because it is the most convenient outreach method for them. Another 25% of consumers value the response speed of the contact medium they have chosen. So, if your clients reach out to you using their favorite contact methods, how long does that give you to respond to meet their speed-​related expectations?

  • Email: within 24 hours (53% of consumers expect a response within this amount of time)
  • Phone: During the initial phone call (63%), or, if the call goes to voicemail, within 24 hours of leaving a message (25%)
  • In-​Person: Immediately (72%)
  • Social Media: within 24 hours of making a post or sending a message (46%)
  • Review on the Company’s Website: within 24 hours of making a post (42%)

The main takeaway of this information is that your clients value their time and what they choose to spend it on. They want to see results as quickly as possible and if they don't believe that they will get results quickly, they will not waste their time and energy.

Post-​sale surveys take a long time to complete and businesses take even longer to respond to requested changes, if they ever do. Instead, you should invite customer outreach through the formats consumers value the most because of convenience and speed. That way, you’ll have a higher likelihood of receiving feedback. And your clients will know they’re being heard when you respond within the expected amount of time.


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