Customer satisfaction survey solutions are meant to measure your customers’ level of satisfaction with the products and services you provide. We’ve got tips for you so you design a customer satisfaction survey that will give you the information you need to make your business even better.
However, measuring how your company isn’t meeting customer expectations can be a problem if the survey is flawed. A well-put-together survey can mean the difference between usable and unusable data, and using free templates or software is only half the battle.
Here, you’ll learn how to put together an effective customer satisfaction survey.
How to Design a Customer Satisfaction Survey
The whole idea behind customer surveys is to gain feedback from your customers or clients. Surveys should be used as a way to honestly interpret how your customers feel about your company.
The aim of a customer satisfaction survey is always to use the data to find ways to improve your service to your customers.
There are three main times for sending out a survey. The first is after a sale – a great time to find out customer level of satisfaction with the ordering process, the shipping process and satisfaction with the product (or service) they received.
Another customer survey can be sent out periodically – this would be for more general information about their level of satisfaction with the product. Have they had issues with the product? Did they need to talk to a company agent online or telephone?
The results of either of the above surveys (or a combination of both) can be used as a third type of survey. This would be where a company wants to expand on the earlier results to learn more.
Perhaps results showed there was a gap between processes and now the company needs more information in order to proceed to fix that problem.
Customize your feedback template to your company
Free templates are widely available and convenient, but may not yield useful, targeted raw data. General questions, like those included in your template, are of limited use.
If you’re starting with a template, treat it as a style guide and nothing more; targeted questions will result in more honest, precise answers and more actionable data.
Have a goal in mind to determine the design of your questions
Decide what aspect of your customer relations you’d like to measure, then sit down with your survey development company to ensure you focus not only on the questions, but on what you want to accomplish.
For example: Is this a preliminary survey, meant to find something out rather than to act upon data? Are you looking to find out the level of satisfaction with your customer service?
Since your customers’ answers to survey questions will be used to further your research, follow these rules:
- Limit questions that lead the customer; they can create bias
- Add sections where customers can write in their own responses
- Offer room for “opt-out” responses (such as “none of the above”)
- Use uncomplicated sentence structure
- Allow plenty of time for survey completion
When creating customer feedback surveys, many companies unintentionally word their questions with biased terminology.
To prevent this, use neutral words; they won’t slant your customers’ responses one way or the other. Use language that doesn’t assume the customer is a specific gender, age, nationality, race or sexual orientation.
Embrace the Positive and Work on the Negative
In measuring your customers’ level of satisfaction with your goods or services, you can get so focused on figuring out your shortfalls that you forget to ask what you’re doing right and what your customers are looking for.
Pinpointing your company’s positives can let you know where to leave well enough alone. Don’t make changes, so you don’t let customers slip away while you’re finding new ones.
Remember, your survey data can only be as good as the size of your sample. Many companies use incentives to encourage customer participation; tell them that if they participate, their voice will be heard.
If you plan to use customer feedback as part of a testimonial, tell your customers that. Assure them that their identity and answers are completely confidential.
Customer feedback is a very valuable tool, but poorly designed surveys mean lower quality data and higher chance for mistakes.
Measuring your customers’ satisfaction is a matter of using good design practices, carefully wording your questions, and gathering a large enough sample.
Hopefully, these tips can help you design a customer satisfaction survey that will give you the information you need to build your business.
If you do all of this, you have a much higher chance of getting truthful feedback that can help you build a better product, brand or service.
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