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It's time to listen

February 20, 2009

The easiest way to improve how well you serve your customers is by asking them for feedback and using it to make changes. Conducting an online survey is one of the best ways to do this. Follow these tips to make the most out of your survey: Compass022009

  • Keep it brief. Use 10 questions or fewer and make sure it can be completed in five minutes or less.
  • Create a mix. Use open-ended questions that allow customers to put their opinions in their own words, as well as closed-ended questions that you can group and compare.
  • Make each question count. Never ask a question unless you truly care about the answer.
  • Invite via email. A personalized message with a link to the survey will yield the best response rate. Measure the response by comparing emails opened to surveys completed. Remember that a response rate of 40% - 60% is ideal.
  • Offer an incentive. Many customers will be more likely to respond if their time is rewarded. You can either offer a small gift to all who take it or a chance to win a larger gift - both are effective.
  • Use it or lose it. Put the responses to work and start making improvements immediately. Let your customers know that you've listened to them and made changes based on their feedback.

 

This week we created an online customer satisfaction survey for one of our clients. The survey yielded an astounding 63 responses in less than 30 minutes. By day two, the survey had a 33% response rate that will likely rise over the next few days, garnering plenty of feedback to let the company know what it is doing well and where it can improve.