You may have heard that consumers only share feedback if they have either an amazing experience or a terrible one. Fortunately, the truth isn’t quite so black and white. Bizrate Insights has the information you need about why consumers provide feedback to companies, how to get repeat customers, and the best ways to solicit honest reviews. 

Motivation is pivotal in encouraging customers to share their experiences genuinely and constructively in a review. Understanding the key elements that drive individuals to provide feedback will help you learn what your customers want. 

In this blog post, we will dive into the dynamics of customer feedback. We’ll learn how businesses can inspire customers to contribute valuable insights that not only benefit the company but also foster a sense of engagement and loyalty among consumers.

Why Do They Do It?

So, if it’s not just about the experience, why do consumers give company feedback? 62.23% of our respondents do it for the rewards. The overall weighted data shows that a combination of communication, community engagement, incentives, and a desire to be heard drive individuals to share feedback about their purchases.

Interestingly, gender doesn’t seem to play a role in the decision about whether or not to leave feedback, with the greatest divide being men answering “To share my thoughts with the company” at 49.37% and women answering the same way at 55.93%. 18 to 29-year-olds gave an identical answer at 68.97%, with other ages answering between 49% and 56%.

How Do They Want to Do It?

Now that you know rewards are a great way to entice customers to talk to you, how do you tell them about those perks? The answer is pretty overwhelming: email! But don’t just send out mass messages and hope for a response. Personalize them to make sure they don’t come across as spam.

Forget the stereotypes of technophobic older customers — 77% of 65+ respondents stated they prefer email. 

Where Do They Want to Do It?

The next part of the feedback puzzle is to find the simplest way for customers to tell you what they think. The clear majority here is that 66.36% of respondents want to go to an online survey to leave feedback. This makes it easy for you to design a survey to get all the information you want. 

While there isn’t much variation between genders, the age breakdown on this question is interesting. Only 10% of 18 to 24-year-olds want to use email, and 86% prefer an online survey. However, 55% of respondents aged 65 or older want to use an online survey, and 41% would prefer email.

Will They Want to Do It Again?

This may seem like a repeat of the first question. However, this question targets customers who already went through the feedback process. And, yes, offering incentives and rewards is still the top answer at 72.07%, but here is where we get more nuanced information. Our respondents also told us that having an easy process to leave feedback is important, at 53.48%.

Will They Come Back?

And this is the driving force behind requesting feedback. What can you do to get them to continue making purchases? Having a high-quality product topped our respondents’ reasoning to make another purchase at 87.11%. A distant second is offering fast shipping at 52.86%. 

Focus on the Customer

In conclusion, customers leaving feedback influences the dynamics between consumers and businesses in a significant way. It is a valuable channel for customers to share their thoughts, advise fellow buyers, and seek acknowledgment. Moreover, the allure of rewards and discounts is a compelling incentive for feedback participation. 

This process benefits individual consumers and contributes to the collective voice that shapes company practices and product improvements. As businesses navigate the landscape of customer feedback, recognizing and responding to these motivations becomes pivotal in fostering lasting relationships and driving overall success.