When a new restaurant, bar, or store opens up in Milwaukee, I’m not usually the first one to know. But as I hear reviews through the grapevine, I definitely have to check it out for myself.
So when a few friends wanted to spend a Friday night at a tiki bar (in the dead of a Midwest winter), I didn’t hesitate. Tropical drinks. Live music. Lack of snow. What’s not to like?
We walked in, and our group immediately made up 50% of the bar’s entire population. This should have been a sign. Even though it was a ghost town, we still wanted to give it a shot.
The bartender gave us a few menus and we made our decisions.
And then, I saw the ceramic tiki cats stacked next to the comparably boring clear glassware. So I asked what I’d have to do to have my drink made in one of those instead.
“Those aren’t for use,” was the bartender’s answer. “They’re for sale.”
“Oh. Well if I buy it, can you serve in it?” I asked.
“We don’t do that. But fine,” he said.
With a tiki cat in hand, I figured that my first experience there could only get better.
Our next conversation with Mr. Bartender went something like this:
 “So what time does your live music start?”
“Oh, there isn’t any tonight.” 
“But, your sign and website say…”
“Nope. None tonight.” 
“Oh. Well do you ever change the music or take requests?”
“No. We don’t do that.”
My husband’s observation that came next was a bit of a loud whisper – but dead on. “Well this place seems fairly inflexible.”
Mr. Bartender heard us and didn’t come back to serve us again. So, we left. And I started thinking.
Did we really say anything that was that out of line? Were we rude? Maybe he was just having a bad night.
And then it hit me. We’d given unsolicited feedback.
Whether a sign in your lobby or a section on the bottom of your invoices, you likely have some kind of “We welcome your opinion” statement that you display to your customers. Maybe you even mail them a follow up card after you’ve replaced their transmission, hoping that they’ll rate the service they received.
Well, are they giving you their feedback? I’d bet that your customer response rate is somewhere around 10%- if you’re lucky. So customers just don’t give opinions then, right?

• When they bring their car back in within the week because it is still making that same whining noise, that’s complaining.
• When they call and scream at your center manager because their credit card was accidentally overcharged, that’s complaining.
• When their order arrives and it is incorrect, that’s complaining.
• When the product they need isn’t in stock, that’s complaining.

When a customer gives you information that you didn’t ask for, it is all too easy to discount their words and put the issue on them. Complaints aren’t feedback.
Wrong. Any kind of customer feedback is still customer feedback.
If you’re welcoming your customers opinions, but only when you ask or on your own terms, you’re missing a golden opportunity to earn their business a second time. Customers want to be heard, even if what they ask for isn’t met with 100% exactitude. When they take the time (and risk) to tell you what they think, be listening and respond.

Tiki cat mugs are great, but they don’t make up for not listening – or responding – to your customers. Have you had a similar experience to the one Director of Customer Experience Jennifer Porter shares this week? Comment below or share with Jennifer directly.