Stop! Before you dismiss last week's customer complaint as unimportant, consider this: research by US firm TARP shows that for every 26 unhappy customers, only one will lodge a formal complaint with Management. The real concern, however, comes from the finding that an average of 1,560 people will hear about at least one of these unhappy customers' experiences.
That's right. On average, each unhappy customer will tell 10 people, who in turn will tell 5 others. This finding makes for a compelling wake up call for businesses that take the task of collecting and responding to customer feedback lightly.
Send a shiver up your spine? It's bound to generate anxiety in any recruitment organisation serious about generating positive word of mouth and building strong brand awareness. Indeed, recruiters need to understand that soliciting ongoing client and candidate feedback - both good and bad - is crucial to their continued success.