Whether you’re a small business or a larger corporation, a consumer survey can give you valuable insight into the thoughts, habits, and opinions of your customer base. These simple questionnaires are designed to tell you what the customer wants, what they like, and what they don’t like. As important as the occasional survey may be, there are times when a survey is inappropriate or not beneficial at the time.
When You’re Looking For Specific Feedback
If you’ve just launched a new product or service, or are looking for customer insight into a specific part of your business, this may be a good opportunity to launch a customer survey. Be sure that when you create the survey, you’re asking open-ended questions to so that participants can leave as specific a review as possible.
Detail is key to a successful survey. If you ask questions such as “were you satisfied with our service?” or “please rate us on a scale of one to ten”, you’re closing off the conversation to further discussion. A survey is supposed to help you get to know the customers you’re serving.
If you’re looking for a basic “review” or overview of your company and your services/products, a survey may not be your best option. In this instance, it’s best to refer your customers to either your Facebook page or another review site such as Google reviews. A basic review provides minor data about how the customer felt during their experience with your business.
When The Experience is Fresh in The Customer’s Mind
When you’re deciding on your customer survey, remember to put yourself in the customer’s shoes for a moment. You just had an experience with a company, liked their service, and then six weeks later they send you a customer experience survey. You’re probably unlikely to remember specific details of your experience, let alone want to discuss them in a survey.
Be sure to send your surveys while the experience is still fresh for the customer. This can be in the form of an email after their purchase, or a link/phone number printed on a receipt or invoice. A satisfied customer is more likely to complete a survey if they feel confident about what they’re discussing, so sending your surveys early keeps that experience in the center of their mind and opens up the dialogue you’re looking for.
After A High Volume Sale or Big Contract
You’ve just completed an enormous sales order for your company, and the customer is happy and has paid their invoice on time and with no issues. Both parties are satisfied with their experience, and you have been stressing for weeks about making this deal go through. The relief of finally closing it is something you can only understand if you’ve been there.
This is a great time to ask your customer to do a survey for you (and offer to do the same for them). You can ask for any details that made them especially satisfied during the transaction, whether or not your customer service and communication was up to par, and so much more.
A big transaction or contract can often be the turning point in your business; having a solid customer service survey in place after closing the deal can offer further credit to your business and solidify you as a top performer in the industry.
Please Stop Sending Me Emails!
The trick with surveys is to send them as often as possible without annoying the customer. If you have customers unsubscribing from your email list or complaining outright about the number of emails you send, you’ll want to ease back on the gas a little. While it’s certainly exciting to hear the good things people have to say about your business or service, It’s fair to say that every one of us knows how it feels to have our inbox flooded with mail from a business we visited or product we used.
If you have regular customers, a survey every three to four months shouldn’t be enough to cause any irritation, and with new customers feel free to send an initial survey after their first transaction. Just remember that the information you’re asking for is extremely valuable, but also extremely fragile. Don’t upset the customer.
When You’re Launching A New Product or Service
Who benefits when your company releases a new product or service? The customer, of course! You’re investing the time, money, and research into these things for your customer base, so why not include them in the development phase?
Whether you’ve got a breakthrough new product or your company is expanding into other areas, including your customers can make them not only feel like a part of the experience but provide valuable information on whether or not they’re even interested in what you plan to offer.
Keeping the customer informed and involved will make them feel invested in what you’re offering, and therefore more likely to purchase, and hopefully, repurchase your good or service. However, sending a new survey after each new development phase is something to avoid, as you don’t want to make your customer feel overwhelmed by the endless questionnaires.
There are many services you can use to create a customer survey. Certain websites will design an entire survey for you, and there are great Google consumer survey alternatives out there if you choose not to use Google.
Remember This
When you’re sending out surveys remember these key details:
- Only send surveys at a pace that the customer is comfortable with
- Be sure to leave open-ended questions so your feedback is specific
- All feedback is valuable, but also fragile. Treat your customers and their feedback with equal care.
- Send your surveys directly after your transaction or service was performed
Surveys can open up a discussion with your customer and keep them invested in your company. Use them wisely! Some companies even offer small incentives, such as a coupon, for the completion of a survey. Decide which survey method works best for you, remember to always value the customer’s input. They are what drives your income and reputation.
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