Components of a Feedback Management System

Recently, the “light” has turned on for many companies to see the value of providing a feedback management system that allows their customers to participate in a two-way communication channel.  If this is a recent undertaking for you, let me suggest 4 essential components of a successful feedback management system.

#1  Accessibility.  Access to your feedback system must be easy and freely given.  If your feedback system is too hard to access or too difficult to find you will not get the kind of feedback you are looking for.  Customers will give up pretty quickly if they find access to your system difficult.  It is best to have multiple ways that your customers can access your feedback system.  It could be through your website, a customer portal, a software application or an online survey.

Read The Rest Here http://blog.ideascope.com/public/item/167262

Tumbleweeds Sales Spike because of Feedback

If double-digit increases in same-store sales are any indication, 59-unit Tumble-weed Southwest Grill is finding success in its new twist on relationship building: chief executive Terry Smith’s televised vow to respond personally to all customer complaints and suggestions.

The tactic seems to be working. Comparable-store sales have risen nearly 13 percent since Smith began appearing in TV spots in January to solicit customer feedback and launch

www.tellterry whatyouthink.com . 

Diner comment cards have listed his personal phone number and e-mail address since last year.

Smith is not the first restaurant chief executive to assume the role of TV pitchman. John Schnatter of Papa John’s International and Dave Thomas of Wendy’s International preceded him, as did Carl’s Jr. founder Carl Karcher. KFC founder Col. Harland Sanders preceded all of them.

But Smith’s decision to field and respond personally to all comments goes beyond the usual efforts of other chains and illustrates how restaurants are compelled to become more innovative in their marketing methods if they want to maintain their customer bases.

Since the program began, Smith said, he has answered 1,500 phone calls from customers and 2,000 e-mails. His website has received 1,700 comments.

“People just started calling and e-mailing on a very regular basis,” he said. “It was clear that people wanted to communicate directly with me.”

http://www.nrn.com/article.aspx?id=338152

Small Businesses Getting Social

Participate in online social networks - A restaurant two or three towns away sent me a friend request from their MySpace page. I hadn’t been there before, but what I found on their page was friendly and informative. It provided a nice glimpse of their restaurant as well as a schedule of upcoming events, and a history of past parties and promotions. I haven’t visited in person yet, but these really are people that I want to be friends with.

http://searchengineland.com/070412-020930.php

New system offers restaurant patrons help at touch of button

Flight attendants are at your service with the click of a button. Many hospitals have an intercom button patients can press from their beds to reach a nurse.

Now, a few restaurants have an even more convenient way to stay connected to their patrons with just the touch of a tiny black box. It’s called ESP, and the inventor says it will revolutionize the way restaurants do business.

“A lot of times you go into restaurants and you never see the waiter or waitress again, and you may need a tea refill,” said 69-year-old Doreen Treshan, of Inman, who recently used ESP for the first time at Fatz Cafe. “This is a really good thing. Every restaurant needs it.”

Fatz Cafe on Pottery Road in Spartanburg got the ESP system about three months ago, and it is currently one of only 10 restaurant companies in the world with the system in place. The other restaurants are in the northeastern U.S., with 84 more under contract to begin soon.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070406/NEWS/70406008/1051/NEWS01