FAQ

What exactly is the role of a “Suggestion Guru”?

With the variety of surveying and feedback-soliciting tools available to companies and individuals today, it’s a tricky and time-consuming task to evaluate all of the different options.  Making a mistake and purchasing a product that does not meet your needs wastes both time and money.  In offering the services as a “Suggestion Guru,” we are simply offering the guidance, insight, and follow-up support of a career expert on feedback and surveying tools.  We are passionate about this field, well-connected with the vendors of the products we recommend, and completely up to date on current research and best practices.

Are the most popular feedback solutions on the market really all that different from one another?

Yes…and no.  Some tools are intended to serve most of the feedback-gathering needs an organization might have — and those “workhorse” tools do have plenty of similarities.  But even those broad-scale solutions have important differences that potential purchasers need to understand if they are to maximize their investment.  And, in the “niche areas” of the feedback software market (e.g., micro-polling and exit interview surveying), there are a number of specialized solutions that are as different from one another as they could possibly be! Whether you are an HR director for a large organization or an individual contractor, you can benefit from expert guidance before investing in feedback tools.

What are the factors that make one feedback software product better than another?

In a word…options!  Options for how questions are asked, for how surveying is conducted, for how data is reported, and for how results are presented and published — are the factors that make for excellent feedback.  The kind of feedback that leads to real improvement and bottom-line results!  The products we recommend not only incorporate the best practices and research available — they put the widest possible array of feedback options in the hands of your business.

What sorts of consulting services do you offer?

We offer both project-based as well as ongoing consulting services plans.  Our plans are flexible, because we understand that organization and individuals have different needs.  In all cases, we offer one free half-hour phone consultation.

If I buy a product through one of your recommended vendors, and it does not work well for me, what should I do?

While vendor satisfcation policies vary, wepersonally guarantee you that if you are working with us, you will receive the proper support in implementing and using that solution or tool.  If, even after consultation and support, we find that the software you are using is not meeting your needs, we will work with you to ensure that you get what you need.

No matter what feedback tool I select, I know my biggest challenge will be getting employees to use it. Do you help with that too?

Absolutely!  While Iwe cannot be on site to help bring your poeple on board, we will share my expertise with you and support you fully as you enlist the cooperation of your employees, customers or other from whom you seek feek feedback.  We will counsel you in how to make feedback-gathering more natural, informal, social, and even enjoyable for your employees and/or customers.

Is there hard research indicating performance improvements through the use of feedback software?

Yes, there is an enormous body of research showing just how valuable honest, thorough feedback is.  Please visit our Resources area if you are interested in reading up on some of that research.

Are you employed by any of the software vendors whose products you feature?

No, we are not. We function as an independent consultant, and our job is to provide objective guidance as to the best solutions to meet our clients’ particular needs. Although we generally “earn” an affiliate commission when a client purchases through our Website, that is returned to you so that you can feel confident that there are no conflicts of interest that color our recommendations.

We  enjoy the freedom to recommend what we feel are the very best feedback products on the market today. If a product does not meet our expectations, or if something better comes around that appears to be a better fit for you or your proganziation, we advise our consulting clients.

If you have further questions that you do not see answered here, please contact us at info@suggestionguru.com