Track Your Client’s Satisfaction with a Happy Plan

If you’re not hearing complaints or feedback, you may assume that you have a bunch of happy clients satisfied with your coaching or services. But are they actually happy clients, or are they just non-confrontational and secretly unhappy?

The easiest way to get client feedback is through a survey. You can set these up with a service like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms and ask just a few simple questions. They can be scheduled at the end of your coaching package, the end of your project, or semi-annually to your list. It can even be automated so that you don’t even have to schedule it in your calendar.

One common complaint is that clients don’t take the time to look at the survey or answer the questions. If you want to avoid this, you can offer a free gift for taking the survey, such as a coupon code for an upcoming product, a free template, or another resource they will find useful. Sometimes gifts like these provide just enough incentive to get the answers you need. I like to purchase $5 Starbucks coupons that I send out when a form is completed. You want to avoid giving away your time.

To make your survey even more accessible, just ask for a satisfaction score, such as five stars. This can be done via SurveyMonkey, email, or an online website form. If anyone gives a low rating, you can follow up with a personal phone call or email to get clarification on what happened.

If you want to avoid the whole survey process altogether, just ask your client at the end of their session or project if they are satisfied with the results. Ask if anything were missing that would have helped them during the process. If they are happy, always ask for referrals and a testimonial.

Just be aware that when done this way, you’re probably not going to get the most honest feedback if your client has any issues since you’re putting them on the spot.

What If My Happy Client Isn’t So Happy & Tells Others?

It’s bound to happen at some point that you and a client just don’t mesh. When you ask for feedback, which can be a simple question of “Why don’t you want to continue your sessions?” you probably won’t like what they have to say. However, it’s essential to listen objectively and not take negative feedback personally (as difficult as that may be!). Think back to your interactions objectively; is there any validity to their complaints? If so, make a note of those complaints and work immediately to resolve those with other clients. 

If your unhappy client turns to social media to blast you, remain calm when writing your response. Yes, you should respond to unhappy clients, so it shows anyone who’s reading that you’re receptive to resolving the issue. But take the high road and don’t resort to name-calling or throwing insults, no matter how tempting. Showing a calm demeanor will help build your professional image and credibility.

Monitoring your social media should be a daily practice so you can catch any kind of negative talk right away. We can put systems in place to automate this for you, or your VA can monitor your profiles and can set up Google Alerts or SocialMention, so you’ll know when people are talking about you. Lots of positive shout-outs occur on social media, so keep an eye out for those mentions, too. Don’t be afraid to share the positive feedback you receive on social media and as testimonials on your website.

Avoid Negative Feedback by Creating a Happy Client Plan

One way to prevent low client satisfaction results is to create an action plan. A personalized happy client plan spells out all the steps you’ll take (or your client care specialist) to assist the client and make their experience smooth and worry-free. Never heard of a happy client plan? My course “How to Create Your Own Personalized Client Service Experience Plan” walks you through four lessons that will help you create a unique experience for every client. Once you have a plan set in place, simply follow the steps for each of your clients.

Of course, you can always hire us to create it for you. Click here to book a discovery call.