Every business relies, to a certain extent, on customer feedback to improve. After all, your customers experience your service in a way you or your staff never will, so providing them the opportunity to leave feedback is a no brainer.
The easier you make it for customers to provide feedback, the more feedback you’ll receive. Those touch screens at airports where you simply press a button to show your level of satisfaction is a classic example, as it takes no time, is easy for customers to use, and provides management with real-time feedback.
Providing feedback to Qantas, however, is a markedly different story.
In the old days, the cabin crew would provide you with a form where you could pen your comments, while you were still onboard and the memory was fresh. You would then submit the sealed envelope to the crew or post it yourself.
Now if you want to leave feedback, you have to find the Customer Care page on their website and fill in a form, not easy to do in real time on a flight. You can’t just email them either – that would be too easy for you. Instead you’re required to complete this form. You need your booking reference first – now that’s going to require some digging on your part – then you’re required to fill in certain mandatory fields (8) and up to 17 fields in total. And when you complete your form, you have no record of the feedback, unlike when you send an email.
It beggars belief to think the common traveller is going to revel in this experience; it requires way too much time for little or no reward. So why do they make you jump through these hoops? I can only think that it’s easier for them to manage the feedback by setting up this system. BUT what about us, the poor customers? Surely they should be setting up their systems with the customers in mind, not themselves?
As to how many customers are dissuaded from posting their feedback is not clear, but given the complexity of the process, I would think it is substantial.
Your customers will always be happy to provide unbiased feedback if you make it easy for them to do so, and Qantas – you make it near impossible.
