Have you ever given feedback on a product or service? It can be as simple as telling a supermarket clerk, “you’ve been really helpful” to answering a five-page survey from IRCC about your experience applying for immigration.

Getting asked for feedback is something that we have to deal with since we are all consumers of products and services.

When this happens, do you avoid it or do you welcome the opportunity?

What is consumer feedback?

It is giving your opinion about the quality of a product or service that you have availed. It can be positive or negative; solicited or unsolicited. When people get great service from a restaurant, for example, or get a defective appliance from a store and share it on social media, that’s feedback. Some also rate and review business establishments on sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor. Another source of feedback are client satisfaction surveys. These are “tools which provide an organization with an honest opinion of what their present or future customers think about them and help them in taking an informed decision.” (MBASkool.com). It can be done through a face-to-face interview, via phone, online, or through forms and questionnaires.

Some avoid feedback surveys because it can be intrusive. Others may not like answering them because:

• it’s optional and there is no immediate reward (or effect);
• some are afraid that their personal data will be collected and used for other purposes;
• some fear that negative feedback could affect their future dealings with the company or in the case of government offices, affect their benefits or applications;
• they think that it will benefit the organization or corporation more than them.

“providing feedback actually empowers consumers. It allows us to have an active hand in forming the type or kind of products and services that we want and deserve. It can help stop practices, use of resources, or delivery of services that do not meet our standards or needs. This ultimately results to the improvement and creation of better products and services.”

Why providing feedback is important

Providing feedback is important because it pushes improvement and product innovation. Without it, service providers may rely only on sales or customer numbers without a clue about why their product or service works; or why it doesn’t. They may not know what they can do to improve or change. A customer-centric organization or company will listen to its customers and use feedback to establish their priorities. Constructive feedback can motivate them to continuously improve their offerings and meet customer needs more closely.

Providing feedback is also a public service. It lets other consumers know about great products/services or warns them about bad ones that are in the market. This helps create a community of smart consumers who share experiences to help others make informed decisions.

This means that providing feedback empowers consumers. It gives us an active role in forming the products and services that we want and deserve. It can help stop practices, use of resources, or delivery of services that do not meet our standards or needs. This results to better products and services.

So the next time you’re asked to answer a feedback survey, it may be worth spending 10-15 minutes of your time to let them know what you think.

How to give feedback

If you want to be proactive, you can provide feedback without being asked. You can send a letter or call the service provider. You can also go on social media and post about your experience (especially if it’s positive). However, be careful about blasting a company or organization on social media for bad service. Make sure to talk to the company first and resolve the issue privately. This is a more effective way to solve the issue without damaging yours or the company’s reputation.

Answering feedback forms is another feedback channel. Filling out forms can be easier because all you need to do is to choose from pre-set answers.

Remember to make it count:

• Be honest and sincere.
• Make it constructive. Help others improve by offering honest comments and good ideas. You can criticize but stay objective. Avoid snide remarks or harsh words.
• Make it specific. Describe in detail or provide concrete examples why you like or don’t like a product or service. This will help them get a complete understanding of your perspective.
• Don’t waste the opportunity. Don’t just tick off boxes blindly or make fun of the survey. Sometimes, the blanket of anonymity makes us careless. Provide quality feedback if you want to be taken seriously and if you want your opinions to count.

About confidentiality

Responsible companies holding surveys will have a Privacy Policy that explicitly states how they will use your responses and how it will be kept confidential. If they collect any personal information from you, they must explain what type of information they collect, why they are collecting it, how long they are keeping it, and how they are storing it. However, stay away from surveys that require you to provide personal information like your bank account number or SIN. Be suspicious when a dealer or service provider says that feedback is required. You have consumer rights.
 
Sources: 5 reasons why feedback is important, Susan E. DeFranzo, Snap Surveys; Survey Monkey sample. Retrieved March 11, 2019.