Writing a Customer Survey: Choosing the Best Format
Figuring out how to distribute your survey depends on your type of business. Phone surveys used to be the standard in the industry back when all customers had land lines, but in the era of the cell phone and do-not-call list, it's less reliable. When Vovici recently tried to do a national phone survey, halfway through the survey process the company realized it hadn't reached a single person under the age of 24. If phone surveys are your only option, keep the questions short and make it clear right away that you're not trying to sell anything, Pingitore says.
Online surveys are now the preferred method because they are the most cost-effective, efficient means of producing data quickly, experts say. They also eliminate the human error from a surveyor keying in data over the phone.
If you only have customers' mailing addresses, it's more cost-effective to mail a postcard directing people to an online survey rather than send the whole questionnaire, Pingitore says.
Some stores also have success handing out a survey at the register or printing a link to a survey on the receipt, Deutsch says.
Dig Deeper: How to Use Online Tools for Customer Surveys
Writing a Customer Survey: Work Toward Getting a Great Response Rate
It's a good idea to plan ahead for a survey and start building a database of customer contact information.
"If your list isn't good it doesn't matter how good your survey is," Pingitore says. It might even be smart to send out a test e-mail to your contact list to see how many addresses bounce back before investing in a survey.
Surveying by e-mail also means you'll have to format it so it doesn't get marked as spam, or disregarded as e-mail marketing. Survey companies can help you tailor the keywords in your subject line and body of the message so that the purpose is "simple, clear, and motivating," she says.
If you're doing a snail mail survey, trade up a bit: Anything that distinguishes the survey from direct marketing will increase your success rate. First-class postage is more expensive but also more effective than third-class, Pingitore says. Use a laser printer to make the address look hand-printed. Make the form attractive with white space, large fonts and a clear description of how the information will be used. Allowing respondents to remain anonymous also helps, but if personal information is collected, you should clearly describe how it will be used.
Picking a random sample is important to make your survey credible, Henning says. "If you have true randomness, then you only need to talk to 400 to represent population in the millions," he says. Smaller companies have a harder task: if you only have 100 customers, you'll need to talk to 80 of them to get a significant confidence level," he says.
Many stores are able to get contact information through club card or frequent buyer program: 40 percent of people will usually give their address when asked at the register, Henning says.
"I actually think that justifies having a loyalty program alone," he says.
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Writing a Customer Survey: Interpreting the Results
One sure way to annoy your customers or clients is to ask for their opinion but then do nothing with the feedback.
"If you don't take action, you're better off actually not doing the survey," Deutsch says. "You're really disappointing them, and chances are they may go elsewhere."
Pingitore cited a recent study in Germany that looked at the impact of consumers who took part in satisfaction surveys. Customers who believe companies take action based on the feedback feel better about the company and are more likely to respond to surveys.
Once you receive the results, circulate the data widely throughout the company to make sure everyone knows what's on customers' minds.
"Too often management will see them and no one else will see them," Henning says. Publicizing the results can also help too: it paints your business as responsive to customer concerns, and willing to make pragmatic changes.
Dig Deeper: How to Make the Most of Customer Feedback
