More heads are better that one

No matter how you are looking at things, if another person looks - he will see them differently. So, to be sure you are doing the right things on the right way, you should not only think systematically yourself, but also provide channels to get feedback and other opinions.

"The manager of one car-service company phoned all his daily customers after the working time to make sure they were satisfied with the service and to ask them if they could have done something better." This is a very good example of how one company can be closer to its customers; but on the other side - it is very time-consuming and rather expensive. There is a proverb that we can use for better solution: "If Mohammed can't come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed." In order to gain as much feedback and opinions from your customers, you have to be sure that they can provide it easily the moment they decide.

You have probably made a nice-looking website to provide information, promote something, get the message out there or sell something. It is now time to think of some other usage for it - gaining feedback! Here are some ways to do that using live-support software:

• Be sure to place a contact point on each of your web pages. It can include the "chat" button, the "leave a message" button or even a visible link to "contact us" - where you have all the other contact points written;

• Provide visitors with incentives to give you their feedback. For example: We appreciate any of your comments and opinions and are glad to offer prizes for 10 of our visitors each month which gave us their feedback.

• Place imbedded links in your website text to receive feedback on certain important issues. For example: We developed a new product line according to your requirements. We will be glad to chat with you to hear your opinion or new ideas;

• Place the "chat" button on the e-mails you send. That way your customers can immediately reply to your message and you get the chance to ask additional questions you are interested in;

• Make paper feedback cards which you can give together with your products or services and write on them your website address where they can interact with you and tell you their satisfaction, their ideas for improvement or simply chat with you on any issue.

56% of consumers feel respected when marketers attempt to understand their interests. So, make sure that as many people from outside the business can comment regularly on what you are doing well or badly and that way make them feel respected.