Consumer response is the positive or negative feedback a company receives about its products, services or business ethics. A consumer response can be solicited by the company or initiated by a consumer. The response can include a letter or answers to questions about a product or issue within the company.

Function

Customer response can help a company improve its overall quality of a product or service. For example, if an automaker desires to know the overall customer satisfaction regarding a new vehicle, it can send surveys to all of its customers. A company can send a postage paid envelope to collect the information. Once the information is collected, the company can then send it to the engineers, sales people and other departments.

Benefits

A consumer response can benefit a customer and a company. The company benefits because it can gather information needed to enhance or correct a product. For example, if a bookshelf is too difficult for customers to assemble, a company can collect the information and make corrections to the product. Customers benefit from a consumer response because they can voice their opinion about the product and compel a company to modify the product.

Time Frame

There are different types of consumer responses. Among them are surveys, phone inquiries and in-person questionnaires. The surveys include a set of questions about a product or service. There might be multiple choice questions or blank lines for comments. The phone inquiries can include a hotline set up by the company for customers to call or calls made to the customers by representatives of the company. In some cases, the company may send a representative to a public place to find people who have heard about or used the product or service. The representative may ask questions and fill out paperwork provided by the company.

Significance

A consumer response has been significant in many industries. A cereal company may earn more profits due to the response from children and their parents about a product. A clothing retailer may find out why it's not selling merchandise in certain departments by collecting information from its customers.

Misconceptions

While some consumers may be annoyed by telemarketer phone calls and mailings from a company, the information is saved at many companies for years and taken to account when a new product or service is created. Some companies give consumers a disclaimer that they will not share the information with a third party. This promise can sometimes persuade consumers to respond with information.