How to Get the Most Out of Your Customer Satisfaction Surveys
It’s a general rule of business that if the customer isn’t happy, they won’t return. Customer satisfaction is vital to your company’s success, but how do you know when a customer isn’t happy? Where are the weaknesses in your company and services? And how can you improve your customer retention rates?
Customer satisfaction surveys are one of the best and most efficient ways to answer these questions. According to Forrester, by simply improving your customer experience by 10%, you can increase your revenue by up to $1 billion. However, unless you format these surveys well, you miss opportunities to grow and improve your business. To enhance your customer experience, here are a few ways you can get the most out of your customer surveys.
Ask the Right Survey Questions
Asking the right set of questions is the most important thing you can do when creating a customer satisfaction survey. You want to ask questions that allow you to see the big picture and identify future issues, not just current trends. For example, if you ask customers to rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 10 and you receive a significant number of negative reviews, you can determine that there is a flaw in the customer experience and it needs improvement. Statistics show that for every person who complains, there are 26 other individuals who agree but remain silent.
As you create questions, think about the type of information you want to know. Do you want to improve your product or service? Are you trying to create a more easy and smooth purchasing experience for customers? Base your questions on these factors.
Be Quick to Ask
When you seek feedback from your customers, you want to ask immediately following the customer’s experiences with your company. This ensures your organization is fresh in their mind and they can provide you with more accurate and detailed feedback. When you wait too long to seek information, customer answers become generic and basic. You will not receive the feedback you need to improve.
Format Your Surveys Well
Survey response rates are typically low — the average response rate is 33%. This means that you want to focus on formatting and delivering your surveys in a way that supports feedback. Ideally, your survey should only consist of one or two questions. If you make the survey too long, your customers will not answer or they will stop halfway through. You want to make this process as fast as possible for your customers.
Surveys by Text Message
You also need to provide a delivery method that is effective. Text messaging your customers a single survey question is one simple and efficient way to reach your audience. They are also more likely to see it and open the message compared to email, as text message open rates are approximately 98% whereas email rates are approximately 20%. For this reason, group text messaging is also a great way to invite people to complete your web-based survey. Simply include a link to your survey in your text message.
Overall, if you want to get the most out of your customer satisfaction surveys, you need to take the time to create them correctly. With the right questions, perfect timing, proper formatting, and optimal delivery method, you will receive valuable feedback that can help you expand and improve your customer experience.
