How to Ensure the Confidentiality of Customer Feedback

Confidentiality is an important component of a strong customer feedback program.

Quality customer feedback can be a key in improving business operations, developing products that meet customer demand and ensuring quality employee performance. Businesses that are able to provide a mechanism for customer feedback are able to tap into a wealth of knowledge and understanding that can help direct the future of their company. Ensuring the confidentiality of customer feedback helps ensure honest customer responses and may increase participation in feedback programs.

Instructions

1. Develop customer feedback forms that exclude information that could identify a specific customer. For basic customer surveys, only collect demographic information that can help analyze data such as location and age range. For example, on a customer survey, only ask a customer to select an age range box, not place her exact age on a line.

2. Allow multiple methods of feedback submission such as a locked drop box, an online submission form, a prepaid mailer or an automated phone submission process. Customers will submit their feedback through their preferred transmission method in the manner they feel is most confidential and accessible to their lifestyle and comfort level.

3. Solicit customer feedback. Offer feedback mechanisms through in-store response cards, online submission forms or through a toll-free customer service number. Allow customers the option to include, or exclude their personal information based on their request. Offer multiple, free-form response areas that allow customers to place any confidentiality requests directly on their forms.

4. Distribute customer feedback responses through summaries and statistics. By aggregating information from multiple customer responses, you strip away specific information that could allow a customer to be identified, while allowing the customer feedback results to be used by managers or employees for business improvements. Review any free-form customer responses and block out any information that could lead to a specific customer.

5. Limit the number of employees who have access to customer feedback data. Only allow employees responsible for analyzing, summarizing and processing customer feedback responses access to the data. Use password protection for routine access and data encryption when transmitting data. Consider running background checks and bonding employees for sensitive data.

6. Use a third party service when tracking customer responses. This is a requirement for accurate results. Have all customer feedback go to the third party for processing and notify customers of the impartial party. Customers will feel more comfortable relaying information if they know company employees are not handling their responses. Specify only summary and non-customer identifiable information is received within the company. This method also limits tampering of data by employees or unintentional employee bias.

Tips & Warnings

• Take extra steps to ensure confidentiality with customer feedback programs with limited participants.

• Ensure your technology platform is updated with the latest intrusion and security protocols to prevent external access to confidential customer feedback information.

References

• National Statistical Service: Basic Survey Design- Confidentiality
• Office of the Auditor General of Canada: Conducting Surveys- Anonymity and Confidentiality
• University of Malaya: Customer Feedback for Continual Improvement