Customer feedback tools not just for big guns

A new customer feedback platform is empowering SMEs to see what their customers are thinking in real-time and make improvements to grow the business.

For as long as customer feedback platforms have been in play in New Zealand (roughly a decade), the tools have been highly sophisticated, relatively costly, time-intensive and frankly – reserved for the larger corporates who have the luxury to purchase them.

Now, by offering a quick and simple plug-in solution that integrates with any businesses’ existing management software, Customer Radar has evolved to meet the needs of SMEs by offering one of the fastest set up times and most affordable pricing plans in the industry.

Following the Covid pandemic, Kiwis, just like the rest of the world, have gravitated online, not just for their retail purchasing, but also for the discovery and background research on goods and services. This has led to a massive increase in online reviews – the good, the bad and the ugly. And with more than 90 percent of people looking at online reviews before booking or buying, it has become critical for businesses to take control of their online reputation.

“It costs businesses up to 25 times more to get a new customer than to retain an existing one. The trickiest part is that 96 percent of customers won’t complain – they just won’t come back,” says Customer Radar CEO and founder Mat Wylie (pictured).

“So, what can you do? The fix is easy enough: make it easy for your customers to tell you what they think about your business, and use this feedback to improve the overall customer experience. Even better – ask them to share their feedback online, helping you to improve your SEO and attract new customers.

“We’ve developed a simple feedback platform to do just this; once a customer has provided feedback to a business through an automated email or text invitation following their business transaction, they are then invited to give a Google review. The impact on an SME is really significant in terms of increasing their customer service rating, increasing their online reviews, improving SEO and ultimately, and helping them to get more customers,” says Wylie.

Successful cloud-based Practice Management software company ezyVet has recently partnered with Customer Radar, enabling any vet practice using the ezyVet management tool to plug in Customer Radar’s feedback tool in a matter of minutes.

It’s not just vets finding success with Customer Radar’s simple customer feedback platform, but also automotive workshops, dentists, beauty salons, trades, services and any other SME that cares about what its customers are thinking.

Nik Fowlie from Auto Super Shoppes Eurotech Hamilton revealed that 90 percent of their new bookings come through Google reviews, driven by Customer Radar. As a two-time winner of the Excellence in Customer Service Award for the Auto Super Shoppes group, Fowlie encourages fellow SME owners to take charge of their online reputation and service delivery.

He advises not to shy away from negative reviews since they can help identify areas for improvement.

“Rather than fearing a bad review, see it as an opportunity to enhance your business,” says Fowlie.

Monitoring customer feedback allows clients to adapt their service to meet their customers’ needs, leading to an improved customer experience rating, an important measure of business performance. Responding to customer feedback is an opportunity for businesses to improve their service and foster customer loyalty.

Customer Radar’s feedback platform has been used in New Zealand and Australia for over ten years by brands like Bridgestone New Zealand and Liquorland.

Customer Radar is a local, hands-on, New Zealand-owned software company that has been helping businesses worldwide for more than a decade. Its platform empowers businesses to see what their customers are thinking in real-time and make improvements to grow their business.

For more information visit www.customerradar.com. Mat Wylie is a regular contributor to NZBusiness magazine through his Customer Experience column.