Five things to ask yourself before planning a customer satisfaction survey

Most businesses understand the importance of monitoring customer satisfaction levels. What some often fail to do is plan for action. Anyone can ask questions, but that won’t result in a winning survey. To be successful, some considerations must be made. Stop and ask yourself these five things before you jump on Survey Monkey.

1. What are your company goals in conducting this survey?

Lots of B2C companies gather customer data, so yours should too. But that’s not a goal. Do you want to improve overall satisfaction? Are you looking to implement a loyalty program based on the results? Is the company interested in branding based on consumer insights? Having a few set goals will help you form the appropriate questions for your survey. You don’t want to end up with a bunch of data and nowhere to run with it.

2. Is your business prepared for a reality check?

Your customers might think something is important your business doesn’t. You might also find that your customers aren’t as happy as they were yesterday, or that they’re happier with your competitors. Are your colleagues going to point fingers instead of look in the mirror? Make sure your team is ready to take accountability for negative feedback. Your company has to be prepared to accept disappointing reviews and use them to improve business operations.

3. Can you effectively interpret the results to your team?

Nobody has time for a stack of numbers with no interpretation. If this is the case, why even begin a customer survey? Don’t allow a customer satisfaction report to be hardly glanced at by your co-workers and ultimately left to gather dust. Be sure that your data is properly analyzed and tells a compelling story. This will ensure that your customers’ opinions can facilitate positive change.

4. What will your company do with the findings?

Surveys generate priceless information that you can use to improve your business. In the end, it doesn’t matter what company executives think; your consumers decide what your brand is. Gathering numbers and opinions is not enough. You must act upon the results, and your team should be ready to do exactly this. Based on your initial goals, make sure you have a plan for using the data to improve your business.

5. How will you communicate this to your customers?

Nothing is more frustrating for survey participants than feeling as if you wasted their time. You not only need to act on survey results; you must communicate them. If a customer is upset about something particular, make sure someone responds to them. Let them know their opinion has been heard and changes will be made. More importantly, make sure your team is on board. A leader with no followers is just out for a walk.

Your competitors are gathering customer insight, and you should as well. However, make the most out of your efforts and create a plan that will allow your company to be successful.

-Liz Giel

Photo credit: jgarber

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