Many companies love customer feedback, but only a handful have devoted as much energy to employee feedback systems, according to a story in the Harvard Business Review. “For every dollar spent on employee feedback, companies spend hundreds of dollars on customer feedback,” said Troy Stevenson, former vice president of customer loyalty at eBay, in a recent interview.
Companies rarely connect the two systems. But, connecting them can create powerful feedback loops that engage employees and help companies adapt to fast-changing customer expectations. Consider these series of questions after a customer service transaction:
Ask customers:
- Was your problem solved?
- Are we easy to work with?
- Did you enjoy the experience you just had?
Ask employees:
- Did you solve the problem?
- Was it easy to access the tools and resources you needed to solve the problem?
- Did you feel proud to represent our brand in the conversation?
Encourage honest feedback and protect employees who answer candidly. Employees may worry their feedback will get them into trouble. Counter this perception by rewarding and honoring employees for raising difficult issues. After successes become clear, give even more recognition to employees whose feedback helped move the company forward.
