#12: When is the best time to gather client feedback?

Exit surveys are usually too late to be useful.

Many companies conduct "Exit interviews" with their employees when they're leaving.

Many businesses send "Exit surveys" or "Feedback forms" to their clients when they leave.

The question is: Are they really helpful?

Or are they actually unnecessary?

We'll do a deep dive today and explore.

So that you don't waste precious resources doing them.

The truth is... Gathering feedback by conducting surveys or interviews is generally helpful.

But here's the nuance: It depends on WHEN you do it.

You can choose to gather information at 3 points:

1) Before the sale,

2) During fulfillment,

or

3) After you've delivered what they purchased.

The amount of truthfulness they provide varies at each point.

Doing it just before they leave is simply a waste of time.

Why?

Because the clients are emotionally invested at different levels at each stage of their journey.

Read on.

We'll uncover what happens and how they feel at each stage.

Before the sale

Gathering information at this point is highly beneficial for your business.

You tend to get the most truthful answers from potential buyers.

Even though they've not officially paid you any money yet...

They're investing time to answer your questions.

If they're not interested in buying from you...

They won't bother to answer your questions.

So their responses indicate "High intent buyer".

They respond because they want to help you understand them.

They want you to provide solutions to solve their specific problem.

BONUS: At this stage, your survey questions should focus on establishing their baseline. It's to understand where they're at right now and what they are working towards. You'll want to know their challenges and potential roadblocks. So that your solution can help them overcome the obstacles they face.

During fulfillment

Gathering feedback at this stage is also beneficial.

At this stage, your clients have paid you.

They are in the midst of experiencing what you deliver.

Their input communicates to you what's good and what's lacking.

They are blatantly telling you their expectations.

They are still emotionally invested in your business to a large extent.

If you choose to ignore their feedback...

It leads to disappointment later.

It becomes a trust leak.

They feel unseen and unheard.

It becomes a seed that leads to them leaving later.

BONUS: At this stage, your survey questions should check if your product or service is leading them to their desired goal. It's important to know if you're on track to deliver what you promised. If yes, what can you do better? If no, what needs to change?

After delivery

The usefulness of feedback at this point depends on their mental state.

It can go both ways.

First scenario:

If they didn't have a great experience up to this point...

If they're already disappointed with your product or service...

Gathering feedback from them at this stage won't be that useful.

Because when they've decided to leave...

They're no longer emotionally invested in your business.

They may give answers that aren't truthful just to get it over and done with.

They may even ignore your survey altogether.

Second scenario:

If they had a good experience up to this point...

And they've decided to continue working with you...

Their feedback is still immensely valuable.

You can expect them to be truthful.

Because they expect you to adopt their feedback and improve their future experience.

It's their way of reciprocating by contributing.

When you adopt their feedback...

They feel seen, heard, and valued.

They develop a sense of belonging.

This gives them MEANING to stay.

Trust + Meaning = Retention.

To understand the Retention Formula, read Post #3: Trust + Meaning = Retention

BONUS: At this stage, the questions you ask should focus on understanding their overall experience with your product or service. You want to know if you've met their expectations. And of course, whether they've any suggestions to help you improve.

By now, you should've realized not all surveys are created equal.

Not all feedback is valuable.

Timing matters.

The promise you make and the experience you deliver matter.

The clients' emotional investment also matters.

Gathering feedback or running surveys should not be done as "routine".

It shouldn't be done for the sake of being done...
Or just for "performative" purposes to show you care.

It should be intentionally designed to support client retention.

Because if the client experienced one trust leak after another in your business...

They tend to leave quietly.

They're not obliged to tell you why.

By then, you've already lost them.

It's too late to do any surveys or gather feedback.

It's unlikely they'll return and do business with you again.

Key takeaway:

If you want to conduct surveys or feedback, do it EARLY.

Not when people have already decided to leave after repeated disappointments.

- Herek