If you own a small business, conducting a customer satisfaction survey is an important part of running the business. It measures the degree of your customer’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction with your products and services. It also identifies crucial needs that need to be met as per the view of your customer and builds effective communication and personal relationships with your them. All these serve to improve your business in the long run.
So, how can you get started on a customer satisfaction survey if you own a small business?
Have an Objective for your Customer Satisfaction Survey.
You need to have a clear objective at the very start. The customer satisfaction survey should have a defined goal, for example, to capture feedback about the business website, to improve technical service, etc.
Choose a Survey Tool.
There are many survey tools at your disposal. They include:
- Face to face interviews
- Postal surveys
- Telephone interviews
- Online survey tools
Each of the above tools has different costs, appeals, and rates of response. However, in this digital age, online survey tools are your best pick. You can simply create a survey and email to your target respondents. Telephone interviews are also effective. You can just call your customer and get the customer satisfaction survey feedback on the spot. The premise is to choose survey methods that give you information in the real-time.
Use Clear Questions to Gauge Your Customer’s Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction.
Clarity should be the essence of your customer satisfaction survey. Always align these questions to the goal of your survey. Ask one question at a time for direct and relevant answers from the clients. Be direct in your approach. Do not try to sway your customers to a particular direction. Always use specific questions so as to elicit detailed answers.
With regard to the type of questions, you can use:
- Multiple choices
- Comment boxes
- Sliding scales
Use at most two types of questions in a single customer satisfaction essay.
Always Invite Your Customers for the Survey.
The invitation could be through an email or a letter. It should be personalized for the client. Start with a warm greeting and thank the customer for using your service. After that, tell them the purpose of the survey. Go further and give intricate details such as the duration of the survey. You can give them an incentive for participating in the survey. Close the invitation by thanking the customer.
Follow Up on Your Customer Satisfaction Survey Feedback.
After you’ve done your customer satisfaction survey, gather the feedback and act on it. Don’t just compile it and leave it in a file somewhere. Take note of whatever that’s contributed to your customer’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction so that the appropriate action can be taken. You can also share this information with your staff for analysis.
One way of following up is by giving a personalized call to a customer who raised specific issues. This will show them that you value their opinion and that you’re already addressing the issue.
A customer satisfaction survey is indeed essential for improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. It not only reveals weaknesses in your business but also reveal strengths and points of satisfaction. Ensure that you maintain them as you work on your weak points for increased customer satisfaction.
