How to Obtain Customer Feedback? (15 Best Ways & Tips)

Streamlining customer experience and improving your business starts with customer feedback.

If surveys are your only method for gathering this feedback, let's broaden our horizon together and discover 15 practical alternatives!

Why Is Customer Feedback Important?

According to Microsoft's report, 77% of customers have a more favorable view of brands that collect and accept customer feedback.

This high percentage shows the importance of obtaining customer feedback.

But there's more to it – Beyond increasing customer satisfaction or retention, here are some incredible benefits that may surprise you:

• Product Co-Creation: You can increase product improvement and customer loyalty by directly involving them in product creation with customer feedback.
• Building a Community: By implementing customer suggestions, you're not just solving issues but actively building a community around your brand.
• Optimized Referral Programs: You can customizeyour ecommerce referral strategies based on the features your service customers value most.
• Predictive Market Analysis: By analyzing the feedback trends you collect, you can predict future customer demands and market changes.
• Personalized Upselling/Cross-selling: You can develop more effective, customized upselling and cross-selling strategies by leveraging customer insights.
• Crisis Prevention: Feedback acts as an early warning system, identifying and fixing potential problems before they grow.

15 Best Ways to Get Customer Feedback

1. Benefit from Popup Surveys

Popup surveys are the simplest way to encourage customers to take action and give feedback.

Since popups can be customized to be attention-grabbing, you can easily create a popup survey that helps you gather feedback.

Let's look at how you can customize your survey popup:

Yes/No Questions: The simplicity of answering yes/no questions will encourage more visitors to provide feedback.

Feedback Rating Form: Another simple popup survey is asking your customers to answer your question with a rating form.

Questions and Options: To avoid scaring your customers with too many options, keep them to a minimum and relevant.

Ask for Customer Opinion: You may ask for your customers' opinions in their own words as well.

By using fun ways to encourage popup survey participation, you can increase survey participation and collect feedback more.

2. Send Email Surveys

If designed well, email surveys can effectively obtain customer feedback.

What can you do?

• You can divide your email list into relevant segments based on customer behavior, purchasing history, or demographic info.
• Create an catchy email subject line that will catch your buyers' attention.
• Keep your email surveys short; if you have many questions, let your recipients know how long it will take.

Let's look at Miro’s examples: Miro stated in this cute and simple designed email that the survey would take 5 minutes.

This prevents your reader, who might not have much time, from abandoning the survey.

You can use this list of tools to add surveys to your emails:

• Google Forms: Free and easy to use; create surveys and share via email link.
• SurveyMonkey: Basic free plan; create and share surveys with a link.
• Typeform: User-friendly with a free version; share surveys as links or embed them in emails.
• Zoho Survey: Free basic features; easily create and share surveys through email.
• Email Marketing Platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Sendinblue): Some offer built-in survey features, great if you already use them for email campaigns.

3. Utilize Usability Tests

Usability testing is like a trial run for your product with real users.

It helps you understand how people interact with your offering and identifies areas for improvement in the user experience.

How Does It Work?

• Understanding Users: Think about the people who will use the product.
• Choosing the Test Method: Decide how you'll watch users, like in-person or online.
• Giving Tasks: Ask users to do specific things with the product.
• Diverse Participants: Include different types of users to get varied feedback.
• Observing and Learning: Watch how users use the product and learn from it.
• Analysis and Improvement: Look at what went well and didn’t, then improve it.

If you struggle to start with this method, you can use tools like UserTesting for your usability tests.

4. Add Feedback Forms and In-Product Surveys to Your Website

Feedback forms and in-product surveys can provide a simple way for customers to express their opinions and suggestions.

You can include these forms on your landing pages or your product dashboard.

In what way? 🔽

✔️Adding Feedback Forms:

Consider adding a small "Feedback" button, section or link on essential pages of your website, such as your product page, review page or checkout page.

For example, if you have an ecommerce store, consider this "Write a store review" section from Finch.

They allow you to comment on the store even without buying products from the page.

✔️ Utilize In-Product Surveys:

In-product surveys are short surveys that occur when users are actively using your software or app.

Imagine using a mobile app, and a popup survey appears after you complete a task or use a particular feature.

It might ask, "How was your experience with this feature?" This is an in-product survey.

✔️ Be Specific for Valuable Insights:

Instead of asking a broad question like "How was your experience?" which can lead to vague responses, tailor your questions to the context. For example:

• If you're an ecommerce site, ask after a purchase: "How was your checkout experience?"
• If you offer a software tool, inquire after a user's interaction with a specific feature: "What did you think of our new editing tool?"

5. Conduct Interviews

While surveys are efficient, personal interviews provide a deep understanding that other methods can't match.

They allow for detailed responses and follow-up questions, uncovering insights into customer experiences and expectations.

Conduct Interviews Step-by-Step:

• Identify Interview Candidates: Include loyal clients, new users, and those who've stopped using your services.
• Prepare Your Questions: Develop a list of open-ended questions encouraging detailed responses.
• Set Up Interviews: Reach out to these customers, explaining the purpose and importance of the interview. Schedule a convenient time, and decide on the format (phone, video call, or in-person).
• Conduct the Interview: Create a connection first, then ask your questions. Listen actively and follow up for clarification or additional information.
• Record and Analyze Responses: Take notes or record the conversations (with permission of course).

6. Listed on Online Review Platforms

First, you want to make sure your business is listed on key sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and TrustPilot.

Now, the next step is to keep an eye on these platforms. Regularly check for new reviews and take the time to respond to them, whether they're positive or negative.

Also, don't shy away from encouraging your customers to leave a review after they've had a positive experience with your business.

More positive reviews? Better online reputation.

And here's the catch– you've got to use what people are saying in these reviews. Are they pointing out something that can be improved? Great, now you know what to work on.

7. Calculate Customer Satisfaction & Net Promoter Score

Customer satisfaction scores, also known as CSAT and NPS, which is the Net Promoter Score, are valuable metrics that you can use to gather customer feedback.

Here are some questions you can ask to gauge customer satisfaction:

Overall Satisfaction:

• "How satisfied are you with our product/service on a scale from 1 to 10?"
• "How would you rate your overall experience with us?"

Product or Service Specific:

• "How well does our product/service meet your needs?"
• "What do you like most about our product/service?"
• "What can we improve in our product/service?"

Support and Service:

• "How satisfied are you with the support you received?"
• "Was your issue resolved in a timely manner?"

Usability:

• "How easy to use our product/service?"
• "Did you encounter any problems while using our product/service?"

Recommendation:

• "How likely are you to recommend our product/service to others?"
• “Would you recommend us to someone looking for something similar?”

Feedback and Suggestions:

• "What suggestions do you have for improving our product/service?"
• "Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience with us?"

How you ask these questions can also impact the quality of feedback you receive. So, try to keep your questions clear, concise, and neutral.

8. Use QR Code Surveys

QR codes are everywhere nowadays, and they can increase user engagement with just a single scan.

You can use QR code surveys if you want an engaging and creative way to collect feedback.

Where can you use QR code surveys?

• Physical Products: Attach QR codes to your product packaging. Customers can scan and provide feedback on their experience with the product.
• Receipts: Print QR codes on receipts, inviting customers to survey their shopping experience.
• In-Store: Place QR codes in visible areas within your store, like near the checkout counter, on tables, or by the entrance.
• Websites: Embed a QR code on your website, particularly on the contact or support page, for users to access a feedback form.

How to Generate QR Code?

You can use QRCodeDynamic to create dynamic QR codes and improve your surveys.

All you have to do is attach your survey link to your QR code and customize it to grab people's attention.

Then, you can monitor the results of your QR code survey and evaluate the quick feedback you get from your visitors.

9. Find Community Forums

• Find Forums: Search online with your industry name plus 'forum'. Check social media for groups or subreddits related to your field.
• For tech, try r/technology on Reddit or Stack Overflow. For hobbies like gardening, look at GardenWeb. For marketing, look at Popupsmart Community or Warrior Forum.

• Join and Participate: Create a profile that mentions your company. Join discussions, help out, and ask for feedback about your product or service.
• Listen and Learn: Listen to what people say about your brand or similar products. It’s a great way to gather honest feedback.

10. Listen Social Media

Your customers are most likely sharing their opinions, experiences, and suggestions on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

So, you first need to identify where your target audience hangs out and use tools like:

• Hootsuite: A versatile platform offering both free and paid plans, ideal for tracking brand mentions, managing posts, and analyzing social media trends.
• Sprout Social: A primarily paid service focused on detailed analytics and audience insights, perfect for identifying customer feedback trends and sentiment analysis.
• Brandwatch: A premium, paid tool designed for in-depth social media analysis, tracking mentions, and uncovering detailed consumer insights.
• TweetDeck: Specifically for Twitter, it's a free tool that allows you to track hashtags, mentions, and specific keywords related to your brand in real-time.

Look for common themes, sentiments, and any recurring issues or suggestions.

Take what you've learned from this feedback and use it!

11. Examine Live Chat Data

If you are using a live chat for customer support, using that data can help obtain customer feedback.

If you’re not yet, choose live chat software first. You can use LiveChatAI to provide customer support to your users.

Examining the data can provide valuable insights as people address their questions, pain points, and requests during live chat support.

After resolving a customer's query, you can ask simple, direct questions to gauge their satisfaction and gather feedback.

Here are some examples:

• "Was this chat helpful in resolving your issue?"
• "On a scale from 1-5, how would you rate your support experience today?"
• "Do you have any suggestions on how we could improve our service?"
• "What could we have done better in this chat?"
• "Is there anything else you'd like us to know about your experience today?"

12. Use Customer Feedback App and Tools

Customer feedback tools can simplify the feedback collection process.

These tools can provide heat maps, survey capabilities, customer reviews, and so on.

Let's look at some of them:

⚙️ SurveyMonkey

How to Use:

• Sign up and use the platform to create a survey. Customize it with different question types.
• Share via email, social media, or embed on your website.
• Utilize SurveyMonkey’s analytics to interpret the data.

⚙️ Popupsmart

How to Use:

• Sign up and choose a popup template.
• Customize the popup with your questions or feedback forms.
• Embed the popup code on your website.
• Analyze the feedback gathered from website visitors.

⚙️ Hotjar

How to Use:

• Register Hotjar on your website.
• Use heatmaps, visitor recordings, and feedback polls to understand user behavior and get direct feedback.
• Review the insights and apply them to improve website usability.

13. User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a valuable source of customer feedback.

UGC includes any content - like reviews, photos, videos, or social media posts - created by your customers about your products or services.

To effectively use UGC for feedback, businesses often turn to specialized platforms designed to collect and manage this content.

Here are some platforms and how you can use them:

• Skeepers: If you're a mid-sized online retailer targeting millennial and Gen Z consumers, Skeepers is the ideal choice for you.
• Bazaarvoice: If you are looking for comprehensive review management and have multi-brand stores, Bazaarvoice is the right choice.
• Trend.io: Trend.io is the best place to go if you want to access a large variety of creators at reasonable prices.

If you want to explore more platforms, check out our blog post “The 19 Best UGC (User-Generated Content) Platforms for Brands” where you can find the top features, pros, and cons of the 19 platforms.

14. Create Contests and Challenges

You can create contests where people share their thoughts in return for incentives.

Here’s how you can use contests and challenges for this purpose:

• Clearly determine what feedback you're seeking, like product improvement ideas or customer experiences.
• Design a contest around this objective, such as a photo contest or a hashtag challenge, and ensure the participation process is simple.
• Use your key communication channels like social media and email to announce the contest, emphasizing the rules and the rewards.
• Set up a straightforward method to gather entries and actively engage with participants during the contest period.

Here's a contest email example from Starbucks:

15. Ask for Customer Stories and Testimonials

Asking for customer stories and testimonials effectively gathers valuable feedback and builds trust with potential customers.

Here's a how to ask for them:

• Reach customers via email or a follow-up survey and ask them to share their experiences.
• Offer a small reward for sharing their story, like a discount or contest entry.
• Make sharing stories easy with a form on your website or a direct message option on social media.
• Use platforms like Instagram or Facebook to encourage customers to share their stories, possibly through specific hashtags or campaigns.

As they will also get a chance to promote their business, other businesses will be more likely to share testimonials and prepare customer stories.

Conclusion

Gathering feedback from customers can guide you in improving your business and customer experience.

In this blog post, we explained how to obtain customer feedback with 15 ways that can work wonders! Apply strategies that can suit your business, and start increasing your customer feedback.

Don't forget to analyze customer feedback regularly and occasionally apply creative ways to collect feedback. Actively listening to your customers and making data-driven improvements can result in the growth of your business.

Focusing on both your strengths and weaknesses can help you a lot. Apart from these, focus on appreciating the feedback you receive and always emphasize strengthening your relationships with your customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Customer Feedback Important For Businesses?

Customer feedback is essential because it provides valuable insights into customers' experiences and needs. It can improve customer satisfaction and product enhancements and positively impact your brand's reputation eventually.

How Can I Encourage Customers to Provide Feedback?

To encourage customer feedback, you can offer incentives, such as discounts or rewards, express appreciation for their time and input, and integrate feedback requests into your customer loyalty programs. Making the feedback process enjoyable and engaging, such as through gamification, can also boost participation.

How Often Should I Collect Customer Feedback?

The frequency of feedback collection depends on your goals. For real-time feedback, consider collecting it after specific interactions, like purchases or customer support queries. For broader feedback, schedule surveys at intervals, but pay attention to not overwhelm your customers with constant feedback surveys.

Visit these blog posts before you leave:

• 50 Psychographic Survey Questions to Boost Customer Loyalty
• When to Send a Correction Email? (Common Reasons & Tips)
• How to Increase Survey Response Rates? 13 Best Practices
• 13 Key Funnel Metrics to Consider to Drive Growth

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