2023-10-06 10:02:49
Sending poorly designed surveys can test the nerves of even your most loyal customers, mislead you with false results, and waste the time of everyone involved: those who send them and those who receive them.
However, when designed and implemented correctly, surveys can reveal essential information about how customers view their experience with your company and allow them to let off steam.
Below, we offer you a guide that will help you design better satisfaction surveys through better design and proper implementation.
Each survey question should be clearly worded and easy to answer.
You shouldn’t require your client to crunch the numbers or think too much about the inner workings of your company. Avoid things like: “Compare this interaction to interactions you have had in similar departments at other fintech companies in our broadly competitive group.”.
Don’t ask your customers to rate you on a scale of 1 to 10
When you ask for their opinions on a scale of 1 to 10 (or 0 to 10), at best you are confusing your customers. Because? Basically, you’re asking your customers to determine the difference between a “six” and an “eight” or a similarly nuanced grading when choosing how to classify you. Offer your client no more than about five options, like a Likert scale. Why five? Because if you put an even number, like four or six, you take away a middle point that is easy to answer.
The order in which you ask questions is important
The order is important because a previous question generates images in the client’s mind that will influence their response to the next one. Therefore, be sure to ask about your client’s overall impression first. You shouldn’t influence how a client answers this central question by asking more nitpicky questions before getting to the big, big question.
Asking several individual questions before asking for an overall rating will tend to influence that overall rating, perhaps quite significantly. For example, if the question the customer encounters right before the important question is about the cleanliness of your bathrooms, which is average, this will likely lower their overall rating since you left their mind on the bathrooms.
On the other hand, if you just asked them about parking availability and you have a huge parking lot, this is likely to artificially increase their overall rating since they are thinking about something positive (how easy it was to park).
Include at least one open question
Doing this is valuable both for gathering information about customers and for letting customers know that you value them and are curious about what they think. For example, «Please share any ideas you may have; We promise to read them all!
Word Choice Is Important
You can use emotional rating options in surveys, such as “Fantastic!” (for your highest score), «Bah» (for some intermediate point) and even “Are you sure you can handle the truth?” (for the lowest). Consider this approach only if it fits your brand’s style. It would not be appropriate for a traditional jeweler or a business in an industry such as healthcare or funeral services.
Pay attention to the number of top ratings you receive
While it’s good to know how, on average, customers perceive you, it’s arguably more important to know the number of customers who give you a top rating (5 on a scale of 5). This may be more important than your average score because the number of people who rate you as the best is the best representation of the number of truly loyal customers you have or, at least, the number of customers who are on the path to true loyalty. . Of course, the most important thing here is the trend: are there more loyal customers than in the past or is customer enthusiasm waning?
Don’t ask nosy questions
Intrusive questions include questions about income, gender, or age. First, you can never assume that respondents will trust your privacy practices. Secondly, unless you are in the gaming industry or operate another type of business limited by law, you have no reason to request a full date of birth. If you’re trying to prepare to send birthday cards or offers later, at least stop asking for the year of birth. A full date of birth is probably none of your business and makes it too easy for identity theft in the event of a breach.
Check your surveys for complaints or ultra-low scores
Respond personally and immediately to these upset customers. Don’t make them wait without a response, drowning in their own frustration, until you’ve grouped all your surveys together for review.
Think and pay attention to the preamble that accompanies your survey
Your introductory note or cover letter, like the survey itself, should be friendly, personable, and brand-appropriate. This way, whether the recipient decides to respond or not, they will be left with a positive impression.
Don’t harass your customers if they don’t respond to your survey requests
Make a follow-up reminder the limit, or even that. Once you’ve surveyed a particular customer, suppress future surveys from that same customer for at least 30 days.
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#keys #designing #customer #service #satisfaction #surveys