What is customer feedback?

Definition: Customer feedback is the insights, opinions, and experiences shared by customers about company’s products, services, and interactions. This feedback is collected through various channels and later used to improve customer experience and satisfaction.

Customer feedback is important because it helps businesses understand customer needs and expectations and tailor their offerings and services accordingly.

Customer feedback can also drive innovation and growth by providing insights into emerging trends, customer preferences, and potential opportunities for new products or services.

How to collect customer feedback?

Popular methods include for collecting customer feedback are:

Surveys: Create and distribute customer satisfaction surveys, post-purchase surveys, or Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys.
Feedback forms: Place feedback forms on your website, within your app, or at physical locations.
Social media: Monitor social media platforms for comments, reviews, and direct messages about your products or services.
Reviews and testimonials: Encourage customers to leave reviews on Google My Business, or Trustpilot, Product Hunt, and other relevant platforms.
Customer interviews: Conduct one-on-one interviews or focus group discussions with customers to gain in-depth insights into their experiences and opinions.
Comment and suggestion boxes: Provide physical or digital comment boxes where customers can drop suggestions or feedback.
Live chat and chatbots: Implement live chat or chatbot solutions on your website or app, allowing customers to share feedback in real-time during their interactions.
Contact forms and emails: Offer contact forms on your website or provide a dedicated email address for customers to share their feedback.
Customer support: Train your customer support team to collect feedback during phone calls, emails, or live chat interactions with customers.
Usability testing: Observe customers as they interact with your products or services, identifying pain points or areas for improvement.
Employee feedback: Encourage employees to share customer feedback they receive during their interactions with customers.

Types of customer feedback

Customer feedback can be categorized based on the aspects of customer experience it addresses:

Pricing feedback: Customers share their opinions on the pricing of products or services, indicating whether they believe the pricing is fair, competitive, or offers good value for money.
Delivery and logistics feedback: Shipping, delivery, or logistics aspects of a customer's experience, such as delivery speed, packaging, or order accuracy.
Brand perception feedback: Customers share their thoughts and feelings about a company's brand, reputation, trustworthiness, or overall image.
Customer support feedback: This feedback specifically addresses customers' experiences with a company's customer support or helpdesk, including response times, resolution rates, or the professionalism and knowledge of the support staff.
User experience (UX) feedback: In the context of digital products or services, customers can provide feedback on the user experience, addressing elements like a website or app design, navigation, ease of use, or accessibility.
Communication feedback: Comments on the clarity of messaging, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, or the responsiveness of staff to inquiries.

You can also categorize feedback based on the source (sales team, support team, IT, social media, website, e-commerce site, etc.) and demographic (measure how different age groups, genders, or nationalities react to your product or service).