How to use customer feedback to improve your service

Are you listening to your customers? The voice of the customer (VoC) is powerful:  91% of people believe companies should fuel innovation by listening to buyers and customers, compared to only 31% who think they should hire a team of experts. 

Customer feedback is like a treasure map. It shows you where you’re doing well and where you need to dig deeper to find the gold—better service. But how do you turn that feedback into real improvements? Let’s explore some easy steps to make sure you’re getting the most out of what your customers have to say.

1. Listen carefully

The first step to using feedback is simply listening. If you’re having a one-on-one conversation, use active listening, which is all about being present and giving full attention to the speaker, along with body language and verbal cues that show you’re paying attention.

Remember that for every customer who complains to a business, 26 other customers don’t voice their feelings. Imagine that each customer represents 26 others, because they do, and give them your full attention.

2. Collect data

When customers share their thoughts, whether through surveys, reviews, social media, or conversations, use it as meaningful data to help you improve. Ensure that you’re making it easy for customers to reach out and provide feedback and close any CX blindspots that prevent you from seeing the whole picture.

Here’s a list of customer feedback methods to consider:

• Customer conversations (online, in-person, phone)
• In-app feedback
• Social media activity monitoring
• Usability testing
• Feedback forms
• Customer emails
• On-page surveys
• On-page pop-ups
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys

3. Analyze the data

Once you’ve collected feedback, it’s time to dive into the data. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by sorting feedback into categories: 

• What’s working well
• What’s not working well
• Suggestions for new ideas

Use simple tools like spreadsheets or feedback platforms to track and identify trends. If you have a lot of data, using an AI tool to automatically sort and categorize can save you a ton of time. This will help you see the bigger picture and understand what changes could have the most impact.

Look at both negative and positive feedback:

• Constructive criticism is where you’ll find opportunities to grow. Look for common themes or issues that keep coming up—those are your clues to what needs fixing.
• Use positive feedback to see opportunities to level-up your products/services even more. For example, we’ve had clients say that their customers love Glance co-browsing experiences, so in response they increased their usage of Guided CX in their customer service.

4. Prioritize improvements

Not all feedback will require immediate action. Some issues may be more pressing than others. Prioritize the changes that will make the biggest difference to your customers. Start with quick wins—small adjustments that can be made quickly and easily. Then, tackle bigger projects that might take more time but will have a significant impact.

5. Take action

This is the most crucial step. Listening and analyzing are important, but if you don’t act on the feedback, it’s all for nothing. Implement the changes you’ve prioritized, and make sure your customers know that you’re listening and making improvements based on their input. This can build trust and show that you value their opinions.

Part of taking action means sharing the feedback with the right people. Have a system in place to ensure that feedback gets in the right hands — product feedback to the product team, customer service feedback to the CX team, etc. 

6. Follow up

After making changes, follow up with your customers. Let them know what you’ve done and ask if the changes have improved their experience. This not only closes the feedback loop but also gives you a chance to see if your solutions are working. Plus, it shows your customers that their feedback truly matters and that they are heard, understood, and valued.

This is your chance to gain loyalty and stand out, as an alarming 62% of companies don’t respond to customer service emails!

7. Navigate challenges together

Being there for your customers in times of need, offering solutions, and making things right, can turn a potentially negative experience into a positive one. 

Nothing surpasses the warmth of human connection, especially when customers face complex challenges. Guided Customer Experience (Guided CX) brings this personal touch to digital interactions, offering real-time, empathetic guidance from a live expert exactly when needed. Whether it's navigating a tricky online form or solving a problem in a mobile app, Guided CX combines the convenience of digital tools with the irreplaceable value of human insight. This approach not only ensures tasks are completed more efficiently but also deepens customer trust and satisfaction by making them feel genuinely understood and supported.

Glance can help you create moments of human connection that quickly resolve issues, build customer loyalty, and help your company stand out.

Learn more at glance.cx, or book a demo and let us give you a tour!