How often do you ask for the bad stuff?

All the time. I send my clients a survey once per year after we have prepared their tax return. How else do you improve if you don't know what to work on?

John Huddleston Huddleston Tax Consulting

I ask that question often. You really need to know that stuff. When a customer tells me that they aren't happy and why I go right after that problem and I try to find a way to make them happy. Normally I can find a solution. Sometimes its too late to help out but I then know for the future and I can avoid those situations in the future. That's where most of my success has come; avoiding making the same mistake twice. Art T.

Feedback (especially unsolicited) usually makes me cringe at first. My first reaction is usually defensive: "No way! They just don't get it/me!"

After clearing my head (not always easy), I start to get little chinks in my armor plating and little pieces of the message creep in slowly.

After a while (a few hours at least), I'm able to honestly assess if it's something I need to change or not. Sometimes it's something that would only apply only to that one client and isn't something I would change as a whole. Other times I realize that it's a larger problem but only one client was saying it out loud.

Then I feel thankful for that one client...

...and stupid at the same time. I don't think I'll ever completely avoid that bad feeling when it comes to feedback.

Similar to what Art said, avoiding the same mistake twice sure feels good when you realize you learned something!

I think that negative feedback is almost more valuable than positive feedback because more often those that are dissatisfied will be the ones who speak up. Responding in a positive way to negative feedback gives me the opportunity to not only try and fix the problem, but to keep the client or if it's just general feedback, I can use that personally to avoid the same situation in the future.

So often we ask about customer satisfaction, but we fail to ask just WHAT it was that we did that gave them the feeling of a satisfactory experience. I think the same holds true for negative experiences. We need to know not only that they are dissatisfied but what are they dissatisfied about.

I usually try and listen to understand the other person's point of view, let them know they've been heard and ask how it could be improved. Negative feedback is usually coming first as an emotional response, so it's worked best for me when I am able to acknowledge those feelings for that person.

I ask - what do you like about this coaching session and what do you want more of?

In that context, there is no bad or wrong. It's "what works" and "what more is expected".

Therefore, feedback is really not just about your work. It also reflects user's needs.

For articles, comments could be a reference point. With few votes, is rating really qualified to be a reference point? I am not sure.

High rating probably satisfies ego more than readers if only few votes occured. :)

I agree that honest feedback helps us grow. And it's out of our control if others can be straight with us or not.

Human beings do things based on emotional safety. Sometimes, it doesn't feel safe to speak up.

What we can do is to provide safe space and set the example. If we are nice and polite, we attract nice and polite clients. Oops....Did I just say "attract"? :)

I find that clients sometimes focus in on the negatives much more than the positives - and it makes it easier for them to convey what they don't like or are unhappy about. In fact, the most telling question when I am working with a new identity client is "What do you dislike or don't want?" It's much easier for them to answer than "What do you like?" - as far as design elements, colors, etc. for a potential business logo.

Hey Mark, Good question. I ask for feedback with my clients consistently. With coaching clients I ask at the end of each session, "what more would you have wanted from me?" with Teams I coach I also ask "what worked and what would they have like to be different."

When I ask for feedback I ask for two reasons. 1) It is a way for me to improve and/or ensure that I am meeting my clients needs and 2) it ensures that the client is tracking how we are doing together so that there are no surprises and they see the continual benefit.

I stay away from 'what didn't you like,' or 'what didn't work,' those answers will naturally come out as they are telling me what more they wanted from me as coach. It keeps it focused in what we can and want to change versus the negative. I always let clients know that it is how I can improve to be of better service toward their success. They appreciate it and are also willing to share the hard stuff should it come up because we have the continual open dialogue. again, no surprises.

Mark - thank you for being real & forthcoming. I ask for feedback from every client, though in the past - it has been once the event & planning is over, and in written form with the Thank You note I send them. Presently, I've been incorporating more of a continual feedback loop while in the process. It has eliminated much confusion, and really clarifies my own role with each interaction. Increasing the dialogue as we go along, has made clients & vendors much more comfortable to give feedback, good & bad.

Mark,

I heard you. (about the trent and inquiry of it.)

How about modeling what you want to encourage others to do in the next week? Share at least one honest feedback with the format against the trent you noticed and report back to us the result your feedback create.

Are you up to the game? :)

Sorry about the mis-spelling; trend instead of trent.

Thank you for asking clarification. I would like you to give someone else a feedback with the approach you prefer and share with us the result created by the feedback and what the feedback sounds like.

What I heard was your inquiry of a different way of giving feedback with the spirit of serving. I would like to see an applicaton of it.

Thanks for taking the request on.

Great convo guys, thanks for starting it Mark. I think that this topic is a HUGE part of what social media is about (tying to the other recent threads and bizjam). Your service/products WILL be talked about whether you like it or not. Transparency through these new tools is almost being forced upon us. Companies who like 'image management' are in trouble if they don't start genuinely engaging with folks about where they could improve. Its best to get humble quick, see the feedback as a wonderful opportunity, and make it easy for folks to share it with you.

I've noticed a few new services arising that are designed for this very purpose --you guys might want to check out. http://getsatisfaction.com or, oh shoot, I can't remember the name of the other. Well, that one should do.

Mark, I think I understand what you mean about the trend of positivity. As an artist I find that sometimes I have to drag the feedback out of clients with a large fishing hook.

The funny thing is, it's their look, their image, their stuff my work appears on. If they don't tell me what's not working, then it's a complete waste of time (and money).

I think it comes from not wanting to hurt the "tender artist-type feelings," but really it's just annoying. I wouldn't ask for feedback and comments on the work if I didn't need them to finish the project.

Mark, did I understand that right or miss it completely? Need some feedback, heh.

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I think that big companies like Qwest, Comcast, etc, are never going to be able to collect feedback accurately.

This is where smaller businesses like ours have an advantage. Not only is the Person in Charge of Caring asking for the feedback, that person is also in the position of being able to apply it.

CSRs making minimum wage have no power and only care about punching out at 5 PM. Sure, they'll log your comments and they'll go into the system, but it takes months or years to collect enough of that to apply it.

We can do it in minutes, and even clarify it further.

Mark Yes, I would like to hear one feedback of your client's, and how you asked for the feedback.

I thought your focus was on giving honest feedback. Now, I know your focus was on helping others to give honest feedback by asking certain way. Sorry about the messed up.

Leif, have you heard "rateyourprofessors.com?" My 19-yr-old started to use it three years ago to pick up community college courses and worked well for him. Our next generation is not shy to give feedback and use feedback. :)

David I agree with you - small biz owners have more freedom to structure their biz and can run it more effectively. That's why I like to coach them. :)

We like to send an evaluation out after every one of our clients completes a real estate transaction with us. I just recently asked that we update the form to include a question about "what do you think we could have done better?" We give a rating system on certain items and then allow free form on open ended questions. We also have clients who give us permission to use their good comments about us as testimonials in our marketing.

I also learned early on in my real estate career to ask clients that has used other agents in the past why they had decided to work with another agent. Asking this simple question opened up a good course of conversation about expectations, and was instrumental in helping me learn what did/didn't work with clients, without making the mistake myself. INVALUABLE information or as the credit card ad says, "priceless."

I tried an evaluation form - once. I got no replies which surprised me until I realized that I was polling real estate agents - some of the most tactful people in the world.

In my office consulting biz, though, the feedback I request is more informal. My clients are always giving me suggestions - and I thank them promptly, even if it's something I'm not sure I'll use.

Over time, I think I've built up a culture of receptivity to feedback (even when it's not all roses). One thing I've appreciated are typo-catches on my website (thankfully scarce). But I've come to realize that my clients want ME to succeed as much I as I want THEM to!

I was just thinking about this today in a slightly different context. I recently built some software for one of my clients. When the project was done, they had a project wrap-up meeting where they discussed what they learned (what went well, what didn't, etc.), and they didn't invite me! I think it was too bad, because it was an opportunity for both me and them to learn how to do things better.

Mark,

Thanks for sharing the example. It's good to know that worked for you. To me, it's a different way to approach clients and get feedback.