Survey for a Little More Satisfaction

If nothing else this year, we have come to realize how much connections count in our lives as in-person interactions temporarily took a back seat. Communicating online is now a must, as is adapting to new consumer behaviors. Businesses are doing their best to modify offerings and operations to accommodate the very customers they rely upon. Customer satisfaction is crucial and if you haven’t measured it lately, a simple survey is in order. Customer opinions matter. Think Google reviews. Think word of mouth. Think how fast information spreads on social media. Every company needs a consistent way to gauge customer preferences, expectations, and opportunities. Satisfaction surveys can reveal what works and what doesn’t. Consider conducting one of the following five types of satisfaction surveys to uncover needs and wants that may have shifted because of Coronavirus.

1. Overall Satisfaction – Get a glimpse of the big picture along the customer journey periodically. Perhaps on your anniversary each year? Just make sure to keep it short (about five questions) so people will open and complete it. Keep it simple; do not ask complex questions. Make it relevant to their experience. Try, “Are we your first choice when considering a purchase?” or “Did we solve your problem?” or “How can we improve?”
2. Customer Service – A bad experience can make or break a deal. Savvy leaders know front facing employees are often the first impression, so they make it a priority to identify any possible pain points of customer interactions. Avoiding mistakes is always favored over fixing them. Ask about their experiences, dilemmas, and demands.
3. Product satisfaction – A true testament of anticipation and perception is a customer’s reaction to a newly released product. Opening up a dialogue, before and after its debut, can help with competitive positioning and managing expectations. Keep in mind that honest, user feedback is useful whether its positive or negative. Learning how the end user regards features and/or functions sets a direction for future development.
4. Sales satisfaction – The art of the deal is a real factor. Find out why a certain approach is connecting or disconnecting. Allow a format for open-ended questions if you want specific reasons about why someone did, or did not, buy. This type of insight can help build future marketing campaigns and refine sales tactics.
5. Event satisfaction – Contact attendees in follow-up anytime you host an event or conference where you have a vested interest in the outcome. Critiques and commentary are necessary to analyze the pros and cons of the overall experience. Focus on facts than can improve upon branding, planning, and execution. Luckily, there are several software options that make it easy to email your customer database and extract the details you want to know. Placing surveys on your website is also a simple way learn from someone at the very moment they are interacting with your brand. Customer surveys can also demonstrate how each team member impacts customer loyalty.