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by familymwr

Using a 360 Degree Feedback System

A 360 degree feedback survey is conducted internally within a company or organization. Its purpose is to provide participants (i.e. employees) with peer and manager feedback. This feedback is delivered anonymously and describes a participant’s strengths and weaknesses. Like most surveys, the usefulness of a 360 feedback system depends upon its design and execution. Done properly, it can provide valuable insight for an employee into how he is perceived by those who work around him. Done poorly, the feedback delivered can be rendered useless. Below, we’ll explore the basics of a 360 degree feedback survey along with the benefits and drawbacks of implementing it.

Basics Of 360 Degree Feedback

Usually, the number of participants in a 360 feedback survey is limited. While having too few participants involved doesn’t provide a clear picture into the competencies of an employee, too many can yield confusing (and often, contradictory) data. A small group of a dozen or fewer participants is typically asked to fill out an online survey about their peer. The employee who will eventually receive this feedback is asked to rate himself using the same online survey. His responses are included with those of the “peer group.”

Once the survey responses are gathered, they’re tabulated and delivered to the target employee. Ideally, the feedback is used by the target employee to pursue further development in areas in which weaknesses have been identified.

Benefits Of Using 360

The 360 degree feedback system is useful for the recipient (the target employee) in identifying how his peers perceive his abilities. Often, an employee’s weaknesses aren’t obvious to that person. By noting the perception of others, such weaknesses can be identified. Once identified, they can be resolved with further training and development. This encourages a level of perpetual improvement.

Another benefit of this survey model is that employees are often uncomfortable delivering constructive feedback to their peers. The 360 system allows them to deliver useful feedback confidentially. This provides a valuable opportunity for peers to share their insight with others without having to worry about an emotional reaction.

Potential Drawbacks Of 360

One of the main problems with a 360 feedback survey is the anonymity with which the feedback is delivered (this anonymity is also a benefit, as described above). When the target employee receives the feedback from his peers, he may want to gain further understanding or clarification. In this case, that’s not possible given the confidentiality of a 360 system.

Another drawback to using the 360 survey is the possibility of office politics having an impact on the results. Peer responses may be geared to make the target employee look better or worse than is justified. Alternatively, a group of feedback recipients could conspire to make each person in the group look better by providing responses to the 360 survey that rate them highly. When either of these circumstances happen, the data is useless.

Creating A 360 Degree Feedback Survey

You should use questions on your 360 survey that blend both quantitative and qualitative data. While numeric responses are easy to analyze and can provide a quick glimpse into the strengths and weaknesses of the target employee, the qualitative questions can be valuable for isolating particular issues. Also, train those who are participating in the 360 feedback survey to provide responses that are clear, concise and unbiased.

While there are potential pitfalls to deploying a 360 degree feedback system, they can be valuable. If implemented properly, they’re an effective way for feedback recipients to recognize areas in which they could improve their skills, knowledge, or attitude. Consider using the 360 system to encourage an environment of consistent improvement amongst your employees.

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by rmforall@gmail.com

Why Small Business Owners Don’t Ask for Feedback from Customers

One of the most important things you can do as a small business owner is to find out what your customers really want from your company. Without customers, of course, you have no business. Your bottom line every month depends on whether they decide to give you their money, So, how well are you taking care of them – from THEIR perspective?

To find out, you need to ASK them. But I’ve found that many small business owners don’t make this a priority, for three main reasons.

1. They just haven’t thought about it. They don’t realize how important it is to ASK – and what they’ll learn.

2. They’re afraid of what they’ll find out if they DO ask. That’s understandable. The only kind of feedback many of them have ever gotten is when customers complain, so they may be afraid that’s all they’ll hear. But if they don’t get at the truth, they risk losing customers, which is very costly to a business.

Research from SCORE shows that for every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 others who say nothing. The good news is that if you make an effort to remedy a customer’s complaints, between 82% and 95% will stay with you. Think about that for a minute. What money is your business losing by NOT finding out what the problems are and fixing them?

And in doing a customer feedback survey, you’ll find out what you’re doing well that they want you to continue doing. You may have blind spots about your strengths as well as areas for improvement.

3. Some small business owners think doing customer feedback surveys is too hard and complicated. Maybe you don’t know what kinds of questions to ask or how to set one up. But it can be easy, fast and automated with survey software that’s available today. Some programs even have done-for-you templates for surveys – like customer feedback, employee opinion and even individual performance – that make it easy for you to ask customers for their input.

The sooner you start asking your customers for their input, the quicker you can make changes to your business that attract and keep customers for the long-term.

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by Urban Mixer

How To Use Customer Feedback Surveys At Trade Shows

What You Should Know about Customer Feedback Surveys

• Conducting Customer Feedback Surveys is a great way to obtain valuable feedback

• Be sure to tailor the questions to the appropriate timeframe: pre-show, show, and post-show

• Conducting surveys and compiling the information is only half the battle

While the trade show is in full swing, you will have some idea about how people are receiving your booth and your company. You will have a rough estimate of traffic through your booth and the quality of your leads. By observing and listen to people, you can gauge their reactions with some degree of accuracy. However, all these methods provide you with only so much information and are limited in scope. A great way to learn more is by conducting Customer Feedback Surveys. These should be done before, during, and after the show.

Make It Worthwhile

Make surveys part of your pre-show press packets. Include a one page survey asking potential and former customers about their expectations for the upcoming show. Make it worth their time. Inform them that by filling out and sending in a brief survey they will be entered into a raffle or drawing. Let them know they will be eligible to win valuable prizes during the show. During the show have a stack of surveys available and ask people if they would like to fill one out and be entered to win a prize. Include them again in the information packets you send to customers after the show.

Here are some examples of potential survey questions:

• How did you hear about our company?

• How did you hear about our presence at the trade show?

• Have you used our products/services before?

• What was that experience like?

• What is your goal/purpose in attending the show?

• What trade publications do you read/subscribe too?

• What trade guilds or societies are you a member of?

• May we send you a mailer or add you to our email list?

• What trade shows have you attended in the past?

Be sure to tailor the questions to the appropriate timeframe: pre-show, show, and post-show. The pre-show questions should focus on customer expectations and the post-show ones should focus on customer satisfaction. Ask customers what you could do in the future to improve the experience. In the end, surveys are another way to listen to your customers. Donald Trump, a man who knows a thing or two about business has been quoted as saying, “Watch, listen, and learn. You can’t know it all yourself…anyone who thinks so is destined for mediocrity.”

Act in Good Faith to the Survey Results

Finally, conducting surveys and compiling the information is only half the battle. You have to study the results and share the information with the appropriate people or departments. How they handle that information may not be your responsibility, but ideally, an action plan or response should result from the survey information. Customers who take the time to complete a survey are acting in good faith that your company will read their comments and act appropriately. In some cases, they expect someone to contact them with a solution. Failing to respond creates not only an unhappy customer but also a customer who will share their unhappiness with anyone who will listen. 

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by familymwr

The Importance of Customer Feedback Surveys

Do you want to drive your business forward? Do you really know what your customers think about your business? In order to ensure that you achieve both of these things you may wish to consider conducting a customer feedback survey. With the help of such a survey not only are you improving your customer retention and profit but you are also advancing satisfaction levels and prompting interest in new products and services that you offer. Basically, with the help of a feedback survey from your customers, you are building up a relationship with them, which will enable you to tailor your business more towards their needs and enhance the chances of increasing your own sales.

A customer feedback survey isn’t just about asking a few simple questions, you need to ensure you focus on the aspects that matter.  This includes the underlying purpose of the survey and the best methodology of reaching your customers. Depending on the type of business you run, there are a number of options available to you including mail and telephone surveys.  However one of the most effective methods that we are seeing today involves online surveys, or combined online and mail surveys.

Before you actually deploy your survey, make sure you read through it very carefully a number of times, or get someone else to do it as a means of checking that you are asking the right questions and also that you are asking them in the correct way. What this will do is help you not only construct the survey but also ensure that you are getting the best feedback from it.

One of the most important aspects of these surveys is analyzing the answers that you receive. This should actually help you decide what sort of questions to be asking in the first place.  For example, closed-ended questions are a lot easier to analyze than open ones, so keep your customer feedback survey simple but informative. It is also helpful when you are analyzing the results to achieve as many completed surveys as possible.  So don’t dive in too eager to examine the results.  Let you survey gather up responses over a matter of weeks and then collectively analyze these results.

Another great feature that you may not be aware of where customer feedback surveys are concerned is the fact that you can also use them as a means of publicizing aspects of your service that your customers, until now, have been unaware of. So not only are you gathering the information needed to improve your service but you are also promoting your business in the process.

No matter what type of business you run or for that matter what size your business is, you will benefit from the help of a customer feedback survey. It will help you manage your business initiatives and push your business to improve in all areas. Also whether you receive negative or positive feedback it is important that you take the points on board and use them to make any necessary changes. Although it is hard to face up to criticism, what would you rather do, admit you are doing something wrong and fix it or watch your business fail because you did nothing about it? I think we all know the answer to this question and I think this alone is enough to demonstrate just how important customer feedback surveys can actually be.

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