The Importance of Asking for Client Feedback and How to Use It to Inform Change

Every PR and marketing firm says they want to exceed client expectations. Surprisingly, though, very few agencies have standardized processes in place for pursuing and quantifying feedback about their teams and the work they do. Is it possible to obtain this kind of information? Could it help an agency pivot when needed to maintain high standards?

At Greenough, we believe the answer to both of those questions is an emphatic “yes,” and that’s why for the past two decades we have actively sought candid feedback via our annual client satisfaction survey. The data we collect provides us with valuable insights about how our agency is being perceived and what, if anything, we could be doing to improve. In addition, the process of conducting and tabulating the survey has taught us many lessons over the past 22 years. Here are five of the most important:

Enhanced Communication Builds Trust

Amidst all that is continually evolving in PR and marketing, there has been one constant: clients want, and need, communication. Strategies and tactics can change on a dime, so keeping everyone—clients, teams, media—informed and on the same page is critical. But communication isn’t only the foundation of effective campaigns; it also builds the trust necessary for honest dialogue. Over the years, we have found that most clients are happy to respond to our survey request based on the open lines of communication we have established.

Measure What Matters

There is no need to ask clients to answer 20 pages of questions that, ultimately, won’t provide any relative metrics. Get straight to the point to discover how clients assess performance, client relations, and results. At Greenough, we ask every client to rate us on a variety of factors, including: how well we’ve delivered on their business goals, how much passion we’ve demonstrated for their business, how well we understand what they do, if they view us as an extension of their team, if they would recommend us as their agency of record, and the value they feel we’ve provided for their budget.

Make the Survey Easy to Complete

As much as we would love to hear from our clients in their own words through open-ended responses, we have learned that it is not realistic to expect clients to take the time to provide that level of detail. We ask our clients to rate each question on a 1-10 scale and give one overall summary comment with specific feedback. We have found this format results in a higher response rate.

Use the Results to Inform Change

Why bother conducting a survey if you do not act on the feedback? We take our satisfaction survey seriously and have a genuine desire to do better for each and every client. In fact, we consider it one of the key reasons Greenough has a reputation for such high standards and willingness to serve. We go so far as to incorporate areas for improvement into client objectives and define specific actions to address each point. For example, based on feedback we received, we’ve continued to:

• Build out our integrated marketing offerings, which now include account-based marketing, digital strategy, and campaign optimization and support
• Expand our team of media, content and marketing professionals
• Reimagine our website and recently relaunched to improve access for current and prospective clients and employees

In today’s competitive marketplace, it makes no sense to guess what is and isn’t working with your clients. We say “ask.” By utilizing a client satisfaction survey and applying the results, we have maintained an impressive retention rate while forging a path as an industry leader in integrated marketing, content development, and brand strategy. Our client satisfaction scores are the ultimate validation of our efforts, but perhaps our proudest takeaway from our survey is that every single one of our clients said they would recommend Greenough – and that’s information we are very pleased to know and share.