To be a successful organisation, only a few things are as crucial as understanding your customers and their needs. For Patrick and Edwin, this realization was the driving force behind FourSmileys. For years they have worked together as a perfect balance of yin and yang, exploring countless ideas, companies, and foundations together, with FourSmileys as the highlight of the entrepreneurial journey.
The beginning
The entrepreneurial journey and friendship have their origins at the end of the last century. Edwin and Patrick worked at different companies where they eventually met. Being an entrepreneur, taking on challenges and coming up with the coolest companies made them business partners. This was the beginning of a partnership and friendship that ultimately led to the creation of FourSmileys.
The importance of customer satisfaction cannot be underestimated in the modern world. Understanding customer experience, identifying areas for improvement, and increasing service quality are essential steps to success. In 2016, while Edwin was in an Ikea in Sevilla, he saw a feedback post with smileys. Four buttons that were clear and attractive; this also had to come to the Netherlands. “The next steps were clear, and we ended up in Finland, where we decided to become a reseller for HappyOrNot. The name FourSmileys was born, and the rest is history. We have been active on the Dutch market since 2017 and got off to a flying start, with Bruna as one of our first customers. Many of our first customers, including Stichting Marente, RET, Huisartsenpraktijk Blaricum and KPN, are still customers in 2023. We can’t help but to be proud of this.” Our customer portfolio is certainly an impressive mix, ranging from small local companies to large international organisations. Feedback is relevant to everyone, and FourSmileys has proven that we can meet the needs of every customer.
Challenges lead to progress
With an impressive amount of 1.5 billion feedback per year, we have no other option but to continuously develop. In 2020, our company seemed to be at the height of success, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything changed. The need for flexible measures has never been greater, and we responded quickly by temporarily pausing subscriptions and launching the Smiley Digital. This allowed our customers to continue measuring their services, even in these challenging times.
The products continue to evolve and the ways in which customers can provide feedback are constantly evolving. This not only expands our capabilities, but also allows our customers to grow with us.
The future of feedback
The future of feedback offers countless opportunities. Traditional surveys are losing ground to simple, easy-to-use solutions like FourSmileys. Employers now want more insight into the satisfaction of their employees and FourSmileys plays a crucial role in this. Companies have already shown how they can use the data obtained to increase employee satisfaction. The success of FourSmileys also lies in adding value for our customers. The ease of use and versatility of our products make it accessible to any business, regardless of size. It results in valuable conversations with employees, patients, or customers, allowing companies to grow and adapt to changing needs.
FourSmileys is an example of how understanding customers and delivering simple, effective feedback solutions can be the key to business success. When do you start measuring?
