Unit 2: Present the business plan and obtain feedback

Business plan feedback methods

Collecting customer feedback is a time consuming process. Research suggests that companies can obtain feedback through the following methods.

Surveys or forms

You could use a printed feedback form or survey and place this in a customer facing area of your business, such as the reception or sales counter. You should clearly explain what your thoughts are on the business, product and service.

Social media channels

You should use social media to interact with customers for example you can post questions and answers about your product and ask people for their feedback. You should also use tools and apps such as multimedia apps to set up polls and post on multiple social media sites at once.

Feedback via phone or email

Look at the ways customers contact your business and consider whether it may be an appropriate way for them to give their feedback. For example, you could set up a business phone number (ideally toll free) or a customer service email address for customers to call or email if they have complaints or feedback.

Review customer data

To gain insights on your customers, preferences and trends.

A company may be already collecting statistics and analytics that may be useful for identifying how it can provide better service to meet the needs of your customers. For example, the sales data may show that the customer numbers increase over lunch.

The method you choose will probably depend on your customer base and the type and size of your business.

Using customer feedback

It’s important to use feedback it can improve the way the company performs massively and customer trends can help meet the business it’s financial goal.

Most importantly, don’t forget to respond and thank your customers for taking the time to provide you with their feedback. It’s a good idea to follow-up with them to let them know their feedback was useful and how it helped you to improve your business.

Give the customer response when they have completed the feedback. The customer will appreciate if the company says to them their feedback was useful.

If the company has implemented suggestions based on customer feedback, such as changing their menu or store layout for example, seek follow up feedback from the customers that made the suggestions. This is a good way to check that the company has met their expectations, and ensure that they have correctly addressed a customer need or want to improve your business.

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