“Thank you for banking with us! Please rate us a 9 or 10 if you are happy with our services.”
“Hello Sir, please rate us a 9 or a 10 ‘atleast’ if you fancy our services!!”
Have you also heard or seen these before? Are these words or phrases a bit too familiar in our app-savvy and tech-friendly world?
Click Here To Join Our WhatsApp Channel
Today, we delve into the contentious realm of mandatory customer feedback practices. While feedback is undoubtedly vital for businesses seeking to refine their services, the methods employed to elicit such feedback are coming under increasing scrutiny.
Flood Free Guwahati This Monsoon, Dreams Singhal
Businesses across sectors, from banks to shopping malls, are employing tactics that border on coercion to ensure they receive feedback. Brightly displayed notices, strategically placed prompts, and even incentives like discounts or loyalty points are all wielded to compel customers into providing feedback, whether they genuinely wish to or not.
However, the ethical implications of such tactics are significant. By essentially strong-arming customers into leaving feedback, businesses risk compromising the authenticity and value of the data collected. Are customers truly free to express their opinions if they feel obligated to provide positive ratings, lest they face potential repercussions?
Taking the perspective of banking personnel in this context, GPlus talked to some officials regarding this.
Anjana Kundu, the Operations Head of a Private Bank in the city said, “We generally take feedback seriously as being a private organisation, we work on our shortcomings to provide the best possible service to our customers. That is one of the reasons we focus on diligently asking for higher ratings from our patrons”
In the retail sector, shopping malls have also embraced the trend of mandatory customer feedback. Visitors are prompted to rate their shopping experience through interactive kiosks or mobile apps, often with the incentive of discounts or loyalty points. However, the compulsion to leave feedback can lead to inflated ratings, as customers may prioritise the rewards over providing honest opinions. Notices strategically placed near exits or in parking lots remind patrons to complete the feedback process before leaving. Patrons and visitors are also at times hassled with providing feedback through apps or messages.
This practice raises questions about the accuracy of the feedback, as customers may rush through the process without offering thoughtful insights, compromising the value of the data collected.
Speaking to GPlus in this regard, Moni Kumar Sharma, a manager at a store in one of the malls in Guwahati said, “We are also told to prioritise feedback and mandatorily receive it from our customers so that we can offer our services or products in a better way.”
In this context, a consumer at the same mall while conversing with GPlus, in terms of anonymity said, “I understand that the feedbacks tend to improve the services or the products but I personally feel like it is more so a marketing gimmick. To showcase that their brand is better to the world, even if half of it is not the case.”
The ethical implications of mandatory feedback in banks and malls are evident. Institutions should prioritise genuine customer insights overinflated positive feedback obtained through coercion. While feedback is essential for improvement, it should be a voluntary and transparent process that fosters open communication between customers and businesses.
The fundamental question remains: Should customers be coerced into providing feedback, and does anything less than a perfect score equate to failure? Businesses must tread carefully, ensuring that their feedback practices prioritise honesty and transparency above all else.
In a world where consumer voices hold considerable sway, it's imperative for businesses to foster genuine dialogue rather than resorting to heavy-handed tactics. Let's advocate for a feedback system that respects the autonomy of customers and fosters meaningful improvement for all
