How to write great Responses to Feedback

Responding can be tricky. We get that. We want staff to feel comfortable and confident when writing a response. So, we've come up with this super simple way of helping you respond like a pro. All you have to remember is that it HELPS… If you follow these 5 key points then your responses will always be spot on.

Hear 

A great response shows that you have really heard what the author is saying. Simply writing thank you for your feedback can seem robotic and suggests that the story hasn’t been fully read. So, make it clear that you have understood and HEARD what they’re saying by responding directly to points made in their story, (people do notice when staff copy and paste responses).

Empathise 

Empathise with the author. It's clear when responders have really taken the time to put themselves in the author's shoes. Responses that are respectful and kind are fundamentally important. If someone is upset, then imagine how you would want to be spoken to / responded to in their situation and apologise (if necessary) in a sincere manor.

Learn 

Learn from what the author is saying. Tell the author that their feedback is an important contribution to learning and service improvement. Make it clear that you fully understand the story and have learnt something new from it. If you will be discussing the feedback in an upcoming meeting in order to learn from it for the future, tell them! Telling the author that their story has made an impact is a powerful thing.

Provide 

Sometimes you need to ask the author to contact you for more details or to discuss further. It is key to Provide the correct details. It sounds obvious but it’s easy to forget. Give correct, clear and concise contact details, the more options the better, the author needs to feel confident to get in contact. Signpost the author to other organisations that may be helpful. If you don’t yet know the correct contact details, provide a short response, and then respond with more detail later. 

Share 

Share the feedback with your colleagues, the department, the team or the specific member of staff that the story is about. If the story has led to a change within your service, tell the author! Remember you can respond multiple times, so a few weeks or months down the line, come back to the story and update the author with what has changed and how their feedback helped to achieve this. Share it on your services Facebook page, tweet it, print it and put it in waiting rooms and wards. Feedback is such a valuable tool, don’t keep it to yourself, Share it!