“Why don’t more contractors ask for feedback?”

John Bleasby hired about 30 subtrades when building a house near Coldwater, Ontario – and noted in his online post (“Why don’t more contractors ask for feedback?”) that not one of asked him, at any time, how happy he was with their. This kick-started a discussion on our site about how few of us ask our customers how we are doing. And what that ends up costing us. Here’s a post from Jess…

“Asking for feedback is something we consider often when we deal with our clients. The simplest answers to “Why Don’t More Contractors Ask for Feedback?”are: (1) It can be challenging to get the feedback so contractors give up on even asking, and (2) Contractors don’t understand the significant value that such reviews can bring to their business long term.

“How to deal with these issues? First, make it simple for your clients to write feedback or a give you a review. Give them options for places to do this as opposed to just giving them one spot. Second, teach your staff why and how they should ask for reviews. Often the difference between getting feedback and not is in the way you ask for it.

“It should also be noted that many contractors are wary of negative feedback. They shouldn’t be. Disappointing feedback is simply a tool to improve the way you do things.”

Jess