Feedback is useful if you act on it. I write books as honestly and as well as I can to help readers.
Someone wrote a less than nice review that one of my books was full of my pet peeves. I write about my experiences to provide real life illustrations. I don’t need to make up stories–I just report on what I observe and experience.
In the example cited by the reviewer, I did not mention any of the bad service providers by name (most unhappy customers don’t extend that courtesy). Instead, I focused on what could have been done to avoid or fix the problem.
My so called pet peeves are the same kinds of things that literally hundreds of readers, clients and audience members have shared with me that bother them too.
Customers’ pet peeves–irritants, problems and dissatisfactions–are golden opportunities if you act upon them rather than simply grouse about them.
Customers let you know what’s wrong, and arguing rarely if ever helps your cause.
Find out what’s bugging your customers and fix it. Find out what your competition is doing that bothers customers and make sure you don’t do it too. Customers will notice, appreciate it and do more business with you.
The customer’s pet peeve is your golden opportunity.
Instead, thank them for being honest and do what you can to un-peeve them.
Dear Sir,
‘Wordsmithery’ has always fascinated me and I have now added “un-peeve” to my vocabulary. Thank you.
Warm regards,
Geetha
Feedback from customers is golden. They will tell you exactly what you need to know but maybe don’t want to hear, But listen!! It can only make you better if you get your ego out of the way!
One of my first mentors told me “Feedback is your friend.” It was true then, and it’s true now. However, feedback can remain your foe if you aren’t receptive to it or willing to act upon it.
Some of the best business ideas come from trying to make the experience better for your customers. Good customer service is based on meeting the needs of those customers- if you are not creating policies around those customer needs- then those customers will go elsewhere.