Customer Feedback forms

[sepefrio]

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their customer feedback forms with me. Also, for those that use them, do you offer any goodies if they complete them? I was thinking of something as simple as a Starbucks coffee coupon or such. A thank you letter may work just as well. Lastly, do you ask them to fill it out while your there, or do you include it with the report and a postage paid envelope already addressed to you.

Thanks in advance, and if you don't want to post them here, you can Email me at.....

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by sepefrio

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their customer feedback forms with me. Also, for those that use them, do you offer any goodies if they complete them? I was thinking of something as simple as a Starbucks coffee coupon or such. A thank you letter may work just as well. Lastly, do you ask them to fill it out while your there, or do you include it with the report and a postage paid envelope already addressed to you.

Thanks in advance, and if you don't want to post them here, you can Email me at.....

john.e.coker@gmail.com

If you hand out feedback forms, you'll quickly learn that all of your customers love everything you do. People always think that they got a great inspection and that their inspector was wonderful.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Les]

Twenty years of customer feedback forms came to an end in June 2007. 99.99999999% positive and an effective return rate of abt 70% Katen is right, you will get lots of "love" and it makes you feel good.

I used them one time to establish the client's frame of mind when the inspection was completed as compared to their frame of mind when they became unhappy with the inspector some six months later.

It was only five questions and a comment section with a pre-paid envelope. I am glad we did it, but would not do it now. We learned lots of stuff about our inspections, from the comment section. One that comes to mind is our method of inspecting windows. We had not been clear that we would not be operating all the doors and windows. Another issue was we were not identifying where the natural gas shut off valve was for the furnace nor wheather there was one for the water heater.

I can not recommend the practice for every inspection. I

We do not give our clients anything other than an inspection and do not intend to start anytime soon.

[ozofprev]

I did it for a while. Jim and Les are right, but it's not a bad way to get testimonials for your website/brochures when you're starting out. (They always gave me permission.)

[hausdok]

Hi,

The franchise that I used to be with does it from both the client and the reel-tour side. I got glowing reviews from the clients, good reviews from the honest real estate agents, and scathing reviews from the reel-tour-zoids. Wouldn't you know it, the reel-tour-zoid feedback outnumbered the honest real estate agent feedback and I got chided about it by headquarters. I stopped sending out the surveys shortly after that.

From day #1, I've always approached every inspection as if I were inspecting the house for myself. I don't really need anyone to tell me whether I'm doing a good job or not because I know that I am. The biggest problem that I've had with the business is making other people, specifically the reel-tour-zoids, understand that they need to be encouraging all inspectors to inspect homes like we're inspecting for ourselves instead of as if we're near-sighted and retarded.

Like the others said, the surveys will make you feel good but won't be much of a barometer. If you're looking for feedback to put on your website as an endorsement, just tell people to let you know if they were happy with the process and the report. Send the reports to them as an attachment to an email. They'll tell you by reply if they liked your work. If you get a response that would be great for your website, shoot the client back a reply asking to be allowed to use their endorsement. It'll save you the cost of envelopes, postage, and paper. Right now, you need to husband your resources if you want to survive through this slump.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[sepefrio]

Thanks for the input folks. I remember 100% of all the surveys I filled out were all glowing remarks. If I didn't like something I got in the persons face and told them.

Looking over my paperwork I have a decent size blank area at the bottom of the receipt I give the customer. Since I'll need to retain a signed copy I'll just add a "Remarks:" section at the bottom of the page. This will get me the website comments and pump my ego .