The following link is for a presentation I recently gave at the Marketing Research Association conference in Minneapolis. It describes in detail some of the tips and tricks we have learned at Questar for presenting market research findings to nontechnical audiences.
I would be interested in any suggestions or stories people have surrounding presenting market research findings.
-Tom McGoldrick
Filed under: Customer Satisfaction, Customer Satisfaction Basics, Customer Satisfaction Issues, Great Moves in Customer Satisfaction | Tags: Best Buy, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service
Best Buy Store
Recently while traveling I lost the charger for my portable DVD player. Last night I ran into a Best Buy and told the greeter I had 7 minutes and what I was looking for. He steered me to the Home Theater area where via headset he said someone would be waiting for me. I was thinking at this time, “wow, great customer service.” Three employees indeed were in the department, but I felt like I was interrupting something more important than me, the customer. They didn’t have the part. Call the whambulance. Don’t you hate those rush nights when you get nothing done?
Today, however, I checked Best Buy’s website for the Eagan location which stated they opened at 9 a.m. I rushed over once more as I am traveling again. The store wasn’t open until 10 a.m.! But OMG, the store manager, Cole was outside telling me to come in. They would take care of me. Cole had changed the hours last night on the website, and understood there would be customers this a.m. based on the listed website store hours. Guess what, yup, I left with my charger and am loving Best Buy again.
These are two great examples of why it is so difficult for a large brand to have consistently great service across all locations. There is nothing worse than the feeling you get as a customer when employees don’t treat you with respect. In contrast, the manager of the second location knew the change in store hours might create confusion for his customers, so he made sure the store was open and ready at 9 a.m.
Lynne Vannelli
Photo credit: Asian Sarah’s (Flickr)Filed under: Customer Satisfaction Basics | Tags: Customer Satisfaction, questions, survey
It’s easy to ask a question. In fact, it might be too easy. Brainstorming survey questions seems simple, but there are plenty of traps to fall into. The way a question is asked has a profound effect on the response it produces. I asked one of our consultants for a few tips on choosing quality questions. He also gave me examples of weak questions. For survey results that give you what your business needs, you have to give customers the information they need to answer your questions. Use these tips to make that happen.
1. Beware of double-barreled questions.
Bad: “Were the employees who served you helpful and knowledgeable?”
Sure, your waitress could recite every single beer they had on tap, but she couldn’t remember to bring you a pint. “Knowledgeable” and “helpful” do not go hand-in-hand. A question like this confuses survey respondents. It asks people about two different characteristics, and this will not result in actionable survey results. It’s like asking if the bathroom was “clean” and “tidy,” or if the food was “warm” and “delicious.” Cold food can be delicious, right? And believe me; tidy bathrooms can still be dirty. Don’t make this mistake. Split the one question in two.
2. Be specific- do not use ambiguous words in your questions.
Bad: “Do you believe gun control law should be changed?”
This question makes assumptions and gives no clarification. It assumes the respondent knows all current federal and state laws on gun control. It also presumes that survey-takers have an opinion. And are they asking about all gun laws? The important point here is to specify what you are talking about. The people reading your survey need to know what you are talking about. Don’t leave room for questions on their part. You should be the only one asking questions here.
Better question: Do you feel Minnesota handgun laws should be more or less strict?
3. Avoid using emotional words in your questions.
Bad: “Do you believe gun control law should be changed?”
“Gun control” is an emotionally-charged phrase because people have strong opinions about the idea. So when you ask customers if you should use cage free eggs in your cooking, expect the possibility for skewed responses. You are asking for a response to an idea or belief, and not about what you really care about such as quality service, value, etc. Stick to the point and don’t start a political debate in your survey.
Every survey question requires a second thought. Read each one out loud, or ask multiple people the questions before you present it to your customers. Make sure the questions you ask allow you to measure the points you want to know about. It might help to think backwards; if you want to measure customer service, think of the question to be asked, and then write it. The next step is choosing the appropriate scale. But until then, work on those question-writing skills.
-Liz Giel
Photo credit: Ethan Lofton (Flickr)
Filed under: Customer Satisfaction Basics | Tags: customer satisfaction survey, survey, tips
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
Razzy
Razzy is my two year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. For those of you who are not familiar with the breed, she is a 12-pound dog that was specifically bred to be a foot warmer and lap dog.
The other day I was on our porch and witnessed the following. Razzy was sitting in our front yard making sure we were safe from bunnies and chipmunks when a monster attacked our house. A giant smoking beast roared up to our house, stuck out a huge claw, picked up our trash can and began to shake it violently over its head. Razzy did what any 12-pound fluff ball would do when confronted with a giant monster; she attacked. As she charged in barking, the monster put down our trash can, started beeping and raced away. At this point, Razzy gave one triumphant bark and pranced back to our home the all-conquering hero.
So what does this teach about Customer Service?
- The best way to be successful is if you assume success.
- Employees should always be encouraged to dive into difficult challenges with gusto.
- All victories should be rewarded – even when hollow.
So what have your pets taught you about great service?
-Tom McGoldrick
Filed under: Customer Satisfaction Basics | Tags: Broccoli Effect, Customer Experience, Customer Satisfaction
Welcome to Questar/CEM’s new blog. Our intent is to keep our clients, partners and staff updated on new and interesting issues in customer experience management.
One of the great challenges in effectively managing the customer experience is that it has to be attended to everyday, by every employee, at every location. Consistently maintaining any type of effort over time is one of the most daunting tasks a company or person faces. We all know it is necessary to eat vegetables every day for a healthy diet, but how many of us are deliberate about it? Every company knows it needs to focus on customer satisfaction every day. Even though managers realize that it only requires a little reflection to remember a dissatisfying shopping or service experience, how disciplined are they at giving the customer experience ongoing, deliberate attention?
We will use this forum to post our ideas for keeping customer satisfaction fresh and relevant. We also invite you to send us your ideas for sharing with this community.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Now, I’m off to eat my vegetables…
Tom McGoldrick
