Making sure customers are happy has always been the key to successful business, and that’s even more so today. With competitors around every corner of the globe, there’s always someone ready to steal your customers if you’re not too careful. Capturing how your customers feel about your company and the services you offer is essential if you want to deliver the kind of experience that people want to come back for.
By really listening to your customers’ voices, you’ll be able to identify strengths and weaknesses and find
solutions that can move your business forward. It’s the only real way you can gain a true understanding
of whether you’re heading in the right direction, but actually capturing that information can be tricky.
People usually comment on services for two reasons- they’ve had a terrible experience they want to
complain about, or one so fantastic they feel compelled to praise. Anything in between often goes
unnoticed, meaning that if their experience was simply “alright” you run the risk of them saying nothing,
then moving on to someone else who they think can do it better.
Broadly, you can divide surveys into two categories: interviews and questionnaires. The latter is generally
a collection of pre-defined questions that often come with multiple choice answer options, whilst
interviews take a more fluid approach.
Different people like to give their feedback in different ways. Whilst some relish the idea of completing a
detailed survey, others want to get it over and done with as quickly as possible. Some like to give their
feedback online, whilst others prefer a face to face approach.
Let’s take a look at some of the different types of customer surveys and where they work best.
Website Surveys
Online questionnaires are ideal for millennials and anyone else who appreciates the convenience and
fast results that the digital age has to offer, online reporting is one of the simplest ways to gather user
satisfaction data. Survey technology gives you an instant snapshot of how your customers are feeling,
broken down into demographics and month on month comparisons. Analytics are presented in easy to
follow visuals and surveys can be completed and reviewed on smart devices, so you can access the
information you need anywhere, any time.
This option is great if you’re working with big data and need a quick way to gain a full view of all your
feedback. They can be easily sent via email or on a link on your website.
Brand and Product Research
There are numerous components that all work together to create your public identity, and understanding
how customers perceive your brand is essential. Brand and product research will help you to gain
important information, not only about what you’re offering, but what your competitors are up to as well.
It will allow you to identify your key strengths and weaknesses compared to other similar brands,
understand trends and gain a better idea of what motivates your potential customers to buy into
businesses.
Social Media
With 2.46 Billion* social media users across the globe and 30% of all =me online spent on social media
sites, platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are essential tools for getting to know your
customer base. Regular surveys will allow you to understand how your posts influence and appeal to
consumers and help you nurture those all-important relationships. It’s also worth remembering that due
to the instant nature of social media, unhappy customers now have a great platform for doing damage to
your brand. Responding to complaints in a timely and professional manner will help diffuse any potential
problems, so don’t neglect this increasingly important form of communication.
Exit Polls/Pin Point Surveys
A great way to gain a clear view of customers’ opinions when their experiences are s=ll fresh in their
minds, pin point surveys and exit polls ask a series of simple question shortly after the customer has had
any communication with you.
Community Surveys
Community surveys are a good way to ask groups of people about their experiences. They’re particularly
helpful for not-for-profit organisations and help build a picture of people’s lives and their challenges.
With a clear understanding of what your community of customers want and need, you’ll have a much
better chance of meeting their demands.
Conducting regular surveys will help you understand customers’ needs and what they expect from you,
identify any pain points and areas for improvement and build trust with your brand. When you have a
good base of happy customers, not only will you be able to increase your profits, you’re also more likely
to have a happy, productive staff team too.
*Statista, 2017
