77% of consumers say they favor brands that ask for and accept customer feedback. It’s not surprising that the majority of consumers want to work with businesses who value their feedback. Customer satisfaction is very important for businesses to focus on, and the feedback a business receives from their customers is incredibly valuable.

Customer feedback helps business owners to know which products and services of theirs are most popular and profitable, as well as which ones they could do without. If an employee needs further training, you will likely hear about it through your customers. Accepting customer feedback is one of the best ways to grow your business effectively.

How can you ask for customer feedback?

1. Encourage customers to leave your business an online review. Of course, if you know a customer is experiencing an issue, it’s best to address their concerns in a more private conversation. But the truth is, businesses learn and grow from all sorts of online reviews: The good, the bad and the ugly.
2. Ask for feedback through your social media channels. Get your customers communicating with you online, while also learning what changes may need to be made to your business or services. Post an open-ended question on your business’ Facebook page that says something like, “Why did you choose us for your carpet cleaning needs?” or, “What’s your favorite thing about working with Tyler’s Automotive?” Then take that feedback and learn from it.
3. Send out an email survey. And make it worth your while. Ask the tough questions since the survey via email isn’t public. Ask your customers what they’d rate your customer service on a scale of 1-10, and find out which of your products they find the most value in. These surveys should be short and they should provide a way for customers to contact you immediately with concerns.
4. Respond to negative feedback one-on-one. Business should be in the habit of responding to any and all reviews they receive online. You should respond to positive and negative feedback respectfully and professionally. The important thing to do with negative feedback is to also respond one-on-one so your customer can give you all of the details of their experience. Remember, negative feedback is valuable to your business even if it is hard to hear. So focus on learning from the experience.

The best feedback a business can receive is from their customers: the people who are keeping the business alive. If your customers aren’t happy with your service or a specific product, find out why and make necessary changes. On the other hand, if customers are raving about your customer service and products, keep up the good work and keep your employees trained on continuing the same way.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!