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c h a p t e r12: SOCIAL APPLICATIONS■actual outcomes are not visible to the person making the suggestion. In other words,
there is a lack of transparency, a lack of accountability (on both sides), and therefore a
lack of significance. “Why bother?” is the most common response, and the opportunity
to gather real feedback is lost.
Note that this loss of feedback happens inside and outside the business. In India,
more so than any other place I’ve been, following nearly any service delivery in a restau-
rant, pub, airline flight, etc., I am offered a comment and feedback card. What happens
with the data collected is not always clear, though this much I do know: I have received
personal responses from Kingfisher Airlines following comments and suggestions that I
have made using the in-flight comment cards—shown in Figure 12.6—that are always
offered onboard Kingfisher flights. The result is that, at least when flying on Kingfisher,
I always fill out the comment card and add a personal note if I have something addi-
tional to offer.Figure 12.6 Kingfisher Airlines In-flight Survey CardThe Kingfisher example provides a key insight into the requirements for socially
linking a business, its customers, and its employees: visibility and accountability. The
ideation platforms, more than anything else, bring total transparency to the suggestion
and feedback processes. Ideas are publicly submitted where they are visible to everyone
(content creation and consumption). Next, they are voted up or down by participants
at large (curation). Finally, the business stakeholders—a Product Manager, for exam-
ple—selects from the highest ranked items and offers various versions for implementa-
tion, which are then reviewed again by the participant community (collaboration). The
resulting innovations become additional bonding points for customers as credit is given
back to them. The entire process is visible, and the outcome—the actual disposition of
any given suggestion—is clear to everyone.