Is Your Survey Worth My Time?

A manufacturer complains that his customers rarely return the satisfaction surveys he sends out.

A leading resort gets back just 30% of the comment cards left for guests inside their fancy rooms.

One government agency had a response rate of only 6% when they sent out an 11-page survey.

Whats going on here? Why is the response rate so low? Why dont customers complete and return customer satisfaction surveys?

The problem, as I see it, is twofold:

First, the format of many satisfaction surveys has taken on the language of academics and the structure of statisticians. Asking customers to rate the relative importance and performance, both perceived and expected, of 17 categories on a scale from 1 to 10 is a bit like asking someone attending the theater to evaluate the parking, lighting, sound system, seating, air conditioning, restrooms, refreshments and ushers and, oh, by the way, did you enjoy the performance?

If your questionnaire is too complex for customers to understand at a glance, its just too complex.

If your survey is too long for them to complete in a few quick minutes, its just too long.

If your response form is loaded with jargon, scales and numbers, its so filled up with your ideas theres no place left for your customers to speak their minds.

A statistical sampling of customer opinion can make sense. A quantitative monthly or quarterly survey may highlight where youre slipping, climbing or simply standing still.

But dont ask every customer to reply by the numbers, or the majority will stop thinking about your survey, before they even start!

That leads to the second point: Customers learned long ago that standard surveys yield a standard company response which in many cases is nothing.

If I complete your survey, how can I be sure youll take action on my comments? Theres little guarantee of action in a long list of detailed questions, tiny little boxes and columns of numbers.

If you want to increase the quantity and value of customer comments you receive, if you want to make your survey really work hard for you, here are three things you can do:

First, make it clear at the top of your survey that your customers comments are not just collected, they are truly valued.

Customer Satisfaction Survey is about as interesting as gray paint. Your Voice Counts! sounds much better. Tell us what you want! is appealing. We are listening to YOU! is a promise Id reply to.

Second, design your form to gather qualitative input you will study and act on. Ask for subjective impressions and ideas with questions like these:

What did you like? What didnt you like? What would you like? What do we do that you wish we didnt? What would you like us to change? What did you appreciate the most? What should we provide that is missing? Did anyone or anything let you down? How can we serve you even better? What do we have to do to justify raising our price by 10%? What does no one in our business do that you think everyone should do? What should we start doing, stop doing, do more of, do less of, do immediately?

Thats a long list to choose from. Pick the questions that work for you and use them! (A blank comments field on your existing form just doesnt cut it!)

Third, promise and then take immediate action. Tell customers how quickly their comments will be read, and how fast the changes will occur.

Ask them: May we reply to you personally about this? If so, please check here. Now its obvious that you are reading every comment, you are listening to the customer, you are committed to making changes every day.

Key Learning Point

In todays busy world, your customer satisfaction survey must be so interesting and worthwhile that customers are glad to fill it in. If your survey is not engaging and attractive, customers will ignore it.

Action Steps

Look carefully at the design, format and length of your current customer satisfaction survey. Does it capture your customers interest? Does it promise fast response and action? Should you change the name? the length? the questions? the design? Can you afford not to?

Your survey might be the last thing your customers see when doing business with you. Are you creating the right last impression?

Copyright Ron Kaufman
YOU MAY USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR FREE NEWSLETTER OR YOUR WEB SITE as long as you include the resource box below.

Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator and motivator for partnerships and quality customer service. He is author of the bestselling "UP Your Service!" and founder of "UP Your Service College". Visit http://www.UpYourService.com for more such Customer Service articles, subscribe to his Newsletter, or to buy his bestselling Books, Videos, Audio CDs on Customer Service from his secure Online Store. You can also watch Ron live or listen to him at http://www.RonKaufman.com.

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