Customer Service Surveys

Why Survey Customers?

Whether it is one of those little cards on a restaurant table, an email from an online retailer, or a follow up phone call from an auto repair shop, most of us have encountered customer service surveys. Profitable businesses have long understood that satisfied customers lead to higher profits, and surveys have proven to be one of the most effective tools for measuring customer satisfaction.

Using probing questions, customer service surveys can measure a target populations attitudes toward numerous aspects of a business, including service, pricing, and employee competence. In addition, they can also measure customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Businesses can use the data collected from a survey to make adjustments to products and services to better meet their customers needs, helping to retain established relationships and cultivate new ones. Surveys also build good will, because they show that businesses care about their customers opinions and experiences.

Customer surveys are ideal for businesses that wish to:

• Discover unmet client needs

• Establish long-term customer relationships

• Gauge the effectiveness of sales methods

• Introduce new products or services

• Ascertain their relative strengths and weaknesses

• Develop action plans to tackle critical business concerns

Types of Surveys

Depending on your type of business, customer service surveys can be directed either business-to-business or business-to-consumer.

They can also be either relationship-based, dealing with issues of service, price, and competition, or they can be transaction-based, dealing with specific contracts, transactions, or sales reps. A combination of these two types is also possible.

Survey Methods and Response Rate

In order to ensure an adequate response rate, it is important to choose a survey method that entices customers to respond.

Telephone surveys can be especially effective when surveying consumers about recent transactions. To avoid being mistaken for a telemarketer, surveyors must identify themselves quickly so that the respondents clearly understand the purpose of the call. Consumers tend to feel good about follow up calls, especially if they encountered problems or have concerns. Using the telephone for business-to-business surveys, however, may not work out as well. Business customers tend to be very busy and may not have the time to answer questions when a surveyor calls. One way to get around this problem is to call at appointed times. That way, respondents can set aside time for the survey and answer questions when they feel it is convenient.

While consumers are somewhat less likely to fill out mail surveys, the response rate can still be very good. It is imperative that these surveys are simple to fill out and easy to understand. Business customers are responsive to mail surveys because they can be filled out at a time of their choosing. However, it can be very easy for mail surveys to be lost in the shuffle of day-to-day business, causing the response rate to suffer.

Consumers with email are very likely to respond to web surveys; however, access to the target population can be limited, since email, while widespread, is still not used in a significant number of households. On the other hand, the vast majority of businesses have email access, making web surveys the most practical and effective means of measuring customer satisfaction in a business-to-business format. Respondents can fill out the survey at their leisure, and the survey is unlikely to be forgotten, since it will reside in their mail boxes. Plus, email reminders to those who do not initially respond are particularly easy to send.

The Bottom Line

Simply put, happy customers generate higher profits, and customer service surveys measure your customers relative happiness. Customer service surveys can help you retain long-time customers by identifying their needs and concerns. They also help transform new customers into loyal established clientele by demonstrating your concern for service and satisfaction. Surveys offer insights into customer attitudes that may otherwise go unnoticed, shining a much needed light on your businesss strengths, weaknesses, and challenges for the future.