There is a restaurant I really like. I often go there early in the morning to write, check emails and get some work done. It has great family values and the executives of this restaurant chain are some of the best in the restaurant industry. But even the best organizations have their flaws.
One day I was at this restaurant around lunch time. On my receipt, was a request for a survey and in return I would receive a free menu item. I thought that was a simple enough task so I whipped out my laptop, logged in and did the survey. I gave them high marks of course, but at the end they asked if I had any feedback.
My feedback to them was, “I would like to see the nutritional information on your website for the protein style sandwiches (those with lettuce wrap instead of bread or buns). It would be helpful for those of us watching [and counting] our calories.”
I did not expect a reply. I figured that was the end of it. But the next day, I received the worst possible response to feedback that I have ever received. In the message they thanked me for the feedback and then …there was this: “Unfortunately, it is our corporate policy not to accept or consider any unsolicited creative ideas. This is a difficult decision because we realize that by following this policy, we may miss out on some great ideas from our customers.”
I had to read it about 4 times to make sure I was not missing something. For an organization that prides itself on customer service, that was a crazy miscalculation of words by someone. First it was not really unsolicited because they asked me for feedback. Second my request was not a creative idea, I just wanted nutritional information. I wasn’t designing a new sandwich.
At any rate, that was the end of it. But the lesson learned, is when you get feedback, thank those and move on, you don’t have to explain, the “I don’t care about your ideas” policy. This is one of those “Broken Windows
I will still continue to go there, but I think I will hold the feedback next time. How do you deal with feedback from customers? Please share below.
About Todd Nielsen
Wow! I read your paragraph about their response about 4 times just to ensure that I’d understood it correctly!! What a fantastic reply.
My view is that you always learn something from client feedback. You don’t need to agree 100% with them, but even then there’s often a nugget of wisdom somewhere. So My approach is to say a polite “thank you”, reflect on it, and see whether there’s anything that I could do differently next time. And, if that’s not the case, just move on.
Thanks for sharing, Laura
Todd, this is a great example of when doing nothing would have been better than something. I’ve tweeted this advice: Stay Decisive! If you can’t decide on a right course, at least identify the wrong course & stop/avoid it! Being in the retail business myself, we are always checking our actions against customer expectations. Nice real world example of remembering to put yourself in the customer’s shoes before taking an action.
I also agree and thanks to Todd for sharing a common issue that attracts the interest of almost all people. Whether service provider likes or not, they are doing business also because of customers. Whether the feedback is horrible or superb, one has to accept in public even if you don't like by heart.
What is the essence of a feed back if I may ask?it is getting customers reaction as regards processes,service,genuine response on value for products or services offered.I totally agree with you Todd as you wer asked for genuine and free opinion as a customer and you gave it naturally.silence would have been the best option for the restaurant instead such an unnecessary response to feed back initiated by the resturant in the firstbplac.so absurd!!!!!!!O!
Well I think that when somebody gives you a feedback, you should go above your ” Arrogance” and “Great self esteem” and try to listen and benefit from this feedback to improve yourself more, not all feedbacks are good but it’s always good to see how others see what you do.
As an attorney who writes web site terms and conditions and privacy policies, I completely understand the legal rationale for that statement: some people send unsolicited ideas to businesses (like recipes or new products) and then sue for infringement of their intellectual property rights when the company uses it.
It is a fairly common provision in T&C to state that the provider of any feedback is giving the business a perpetual, royalty-free non-exclusive license to the content of the feedback by submitting it via the website feedback mechanism.
Nevertheless, this was a clumsy and insulting way to handle this issue.
Thanks Donna, I had considered that but the way you stated it made it more clear. I an see that point of view and why it would be necessary. But as you said, a bit clumsy. Thanks for you comment Donna!
Best,
Todd
I like the reply that Donna gave. Sometimes in the quest for being transparent the brutality of honesty oversteps the boundaries of humanity and leaves a sour taste.
The Marketing Department needs to be able to reign in the starkness of the Legal Department and make it palatable to the consumer.
I agree with you 100% Todd! I like the saying " the customer is not always right, however they do pay the bills". If one doesn't have customers coming through that door, its a cancer. One should be able to take in all feedback, negative or positive and learn from it to grow and improve. I think all feedback is good whether its positive or negative! That restaurant created an oxymoron for themselves, they asked you for your feedback but yet, when you provided it, they said they're not accepting it? Seems pretty below the line to me!
I don't believe all feedback is good, but that is an article itself. But I agree you should take and consider all feedback. Well said Tyler!
Can you elaborate on your reasoning on while all feedback is not good? Just curious…
Regardless of what the company's policy is, they needn't spell it out to customers especially like the way they did to you. If they really want to say something, they should say "Thank you for your feedback. We shall try to consider your suggestions to enhance customer experience." They instead were too frank coming out with their policy it seems.
Yep I agree, sometimes a simple "Thank You" is all that is needed.
Wow Todd that is really a terrible response. I tried to think what could have made them do that but failed. I’m writing a course on handling feedback at the moment – this has inspired me to think of other terrible ways to handle feedback!! Always good for training!
Cheers, Andy
Glad it brought you some inspiration. Good luck and let me know if I can help with your project in any way.
Best,
Todd
Feedback of any kind from my customers and clients is GOLD. It is important to respond quickly to all comments, good or bad. Your experience was something that caused me to think that company had some kind of legal action causing them to add that verbiage… but then you think, why even put a survey out to your customers in the first place?
Good point, if the policy is to not accept feedback of any kind then why ask for it.. Funny. Like I just said to Mike Bourke, it is a shame wen fear trumps innovation.
Amazing experience Todd! My eyes grew bigger and bigger as I read and re-read the last paragraph. I am guessing there was some ‘law suit’ or something that caused the company in having to add that kind of response. But then … why ask your customers anything?
For me, feedback from my clients or customers is GOLD! My virtual team also knows just how important it is to get back to people right away, good or bad.
Especially with social media, the split second comment can go viral to millions on people. So you want to diffuse any kind of negative response and praise the ones of support.
Glad I stopped by your blog today – and was happy to share this with my community!
I like your policy better Lynn. :-)And that is a good point also about the viral nature of poor press and the spreading through social media, because unbeknownst to me when I wrote it, this article is beginning to go viral…
Your right, Todd !
That’s why so many companies now monitor Twitter and Facebook about their brand. A friend of mine once complained on Twitter about a missing element in a shipment, compared to competition… He’s been flabbergasted to be contacted within few hours by after-sales service of the given company to be offered a compensation.
In these days of lawsuits, I can understand the policy. I might not agree with it, but I can understand it. Unfortunately.
That's why I mentioned that not even responding would have been better than a response like that. I guess that is what happens when fear trumps innovation.
I have never understood the one size fits all mentality businesses try to apply to their customers.
I totally agree with you Todd – “At any rate, that was the end of it. But the lesson learned, is when you get feedback, thank those and move on, you don’t have to explain, the “I don’t care about your ideas” policy.”. While there may be a purpose for the policy it does not have to be repeated to every suggestion response and it certainly should not be stated in such a way that it discourages feedback along these lines.
I found another example where there was a problem with the service in a restaurant that the ownership acknowledged and stated they would address. They hoped the customer would give them another chance to prove the problem was corrected. Later the restaurant sent a message to the customer asking them to consider removing the comment if they considered the matter settled. So though they want feedback they only want positive feedback and, even though they acknowledge the point, they want negative feedback removed from the comments.
How do we learn from this if all we see, hear, or read is pluses with no constructive criticism?
Thanks for your comment Michael. I guess to answer your question, sometimes the best we can do is take other’s failures and make them our successes.
Talk about shoot themselves in the foot! That story is incredible – how crass was their action? And more importantly, even though it's not, why would you turn away unsolicited creative ideas anyway! Seems crazy to me!
I welcome all feedback as just that! It's then up to me how it is interpreted and acted upon or not! I encourage more people to seek feedback, especially if you can enter into dialogue, as this can be so much more helpful in improving your approach, style, content and outcomes!
Nice post Todd – glad to see you are still going strong! Kind regards John Harrison Thurlbeck.
I am one that believes the customer is NOT always right, but I still think companies should look at and consider feedback. Thanks for your comment John.
This particular place wouldn't promote the consumption of chicken by any chance?
Perhaps, 🙂 I like the place and hey you have to like places that give free wifi. Go ahead and submit feedback to who you think it is and see what you get. 🙂