1.4: Consumer Feedback

Create and test consumer feedback systems to gather and deploy input from low-income consumers.

Other Information:

Direct Consumer Feedback -- Consumer satisfaction is one of the primary ways we assess private sector services. We know that providers of goods and services face competition and that our reviews influence others and deliver useful feedback for providers. Consumer reviews expand our choices, help us determine quality, and are a form of power—businesses that ignore feedback can find themselves with fewer customers. But despite the ubiquity of consumer voice, there is a notable void of consumer feedback for people receiving free or low cost services. Why? Low-income people are seen as recipients, not consumers, and their opinions are not consistently gathered or considered in program and service evaluation. As a result, providers are accountable to the funder not the consumer. This means funders are not considering consumer voice when making funding decisions, and programs do not benefit from ongoing adjustments responding to consumer experience. And the consumers remain powerless — without recourse or voice. FII is creating and testing consumer feedback systems to gather and deploy input from low-income consumers to change this. Our online data tracking system asks FII families to rank and share program experiences that will allow others to research their options. We are working to expand this feedback and advocating that funders use this sytstem in evaluating programs they support to help determine continued funding. Service providers will use the feedback to improve their program when their funding is contingent on such responsiveness. We want to see innovations in the public sector in response to consumer feedback and demand.

Stakeholder(s):

• Low-Income Consumers

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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