A Fond Farewell

In December of 2006, I launched this blog with two primary objectives:

1. To share some of what I have learned in nearly a quarter century as strategic market research practitioner.
2. To attract new clients who understand that strategic survey research among customers and employees is vitally important and requires the highest level of expertise to produce profitable results.

The results of this effort have been excellent - so good in fact that I now find there are too few hours in the day to serve both my clients and my readers. So I have decided, at least for the time being, to put aside the blog.

Because many of the topics I have written about are relevant to both buyers and suppliers of research, I will continue to make the content of this blog accessible to the public. I would point particular attention to some of the more popular entries such as:

Best Practices for Employee Surveys

Best Practices for Customer Surveys

How to decide if a do-it-yourself survey is right for you

How to engage market research suppliers in the planning of your research - a Win-Win approach

Designing effective questionnaires

I am so appreciative and gratified by the wonderful response to this blog.

Until we meet again,

Todd

Todd Hollander
President
Todd Hollander Market Research
Atlanta, GA

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 10: Take Action

In this final installment, I offer some strategies and tactics to ensure that your company takes appropriate actions with the survey results.

At this point, your company has invested valuable resources to conduct and analyze a customer survey, customers have provided honest responses, and you have a thorough report. Now is the time to take action. While every organization is unique, here is a process that tends to work well in most.

Meet with the senior leadership team.

In my experience, it is considerably more effective to meet with the team as a whole rather than holding a separate meeting with each individual member. One two-hour meeting with the entire team should accomplish each of the following objectives.

1. Present the results.

Spend one hour focusing on the Executive Summary, Implications, and a brief run-through of the Detailed Results (don’t get bogged down in the minutae – you can always spend more time with a manager who wants to drill down, but avoid the pressure to do it in this meeting).

2. Do a “gut check.”

Ask the team what, if any, of the results took them by surprise. Next, ask if there is anything they saw that they don’t believe.

3. Discuss the recommendations.

See if there is agreement about what the company should do about the results. Ask if there is anything that should be added to the list.

4. Determine next steps.

• Who will receive the results of the survey?
• What level of detail is appropriate for each audience?
• Who is responsible for implementing each recommendation?
• What is the goal?
• How will results be measured?

5. Plan the next survey.

Before the meeting adjourns, ask for feedback about the perceived value of the customer survey. What, if anything, should be done differently next time? When should the next customer survey take place?

Bottom Line
Taking effective action on the customer survey results generally involves the senior management team. Following these suggestions will ensure a successful outcome and increase the effectiveness of future customer surveys.
 

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 9: Analyze results

Data is not insight

The amount of data generated by a customer survey can be astounding. When faced with a mountain of data, the task of distilling it into actionable insight can seem daunting. At this point, it is critical to understand that: 

“Data is not information any more than 50 tons of cement is a skyscraper.” – Clifford Stoll

Failing to heed the wisdom of this observation, many customer survey suppliers succumb to the temptation to do a “data dump” and inundate executives with a mass of data, a decision which generally leads to frustration, indecision, and devaluation of the customer research process.

On the other hand, effective analysts understand that there are different audiences with distinct levels of interest in the results and implication of the research. To accommodate each audience, it is wise to include the following components in the analysis and reporting:

1. Executive Summary: One or two pages/slides of high-level results
2. Implications: What these results mean for the company
3. Recommendations: What the company should do about the results and implications
4. Detailed Results: All of the findings including:
   - Data tables
   - Subgroup analysis
   - Analysis of Verbatim Comments

Bottom Line
Effective analysis and presentation of survey responses is a critical component of the customer survey process. Following these suggestions will increase the odds of having customer feedback produce meaningful change in the organization.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 8: Get buy-in from stakeholders

In Step 7, you developed the questionnaire for your customer survey. Now it is time to get approval of the questionnaire from the various stakeholders in the company.

Although you have already achieved management buy-in for the customer survey process (see Step 3), it is equally important that they approve of the questionnaire that will be used to collect customer opinions and ratings. Skipping this vital step can leave you open to second-guessing and criticism after the survey results are in.

For our purposes, a stakeholder can be defined as anyone in the company with enough authority or influence to represent either a supporter or detractor of the customer survey process. This list typically includes all or most senior managers and many mid-level managers. Although cultures and environments vary among companies, here’s a plan of attack that tends to work well.

1. Start at the top

Take the questionnaire directly to the top decision-maker in the company (CEO, COO, etc.). Explain that you and the research supplier have spent a considerable amount of time fine-tuning the questionnaire and are confident that it will be an effective tool to achieve the objectives of the customer research. However, as a matter of courtesy and respect, you want to give the senior manager the opportunity to review the survey, identify any additional topics that need to be addressed, and suggest any further revisions to the questionnaire.

2. Work your way down

When the top decision-maker in the company has blessed the questionnaire, it is time to go to the next most powerful manager or group of managers. Explain that you and the research supplier have spent a considerable amount of time fine-tuning the questionnaire and are confident that it will be an effective tool to achieve the objectives of the employee research. Further, the top decision-maker in the company (CEO, COO, etc.) has also reviewed and approved the survey. However, as a matter of courtesy and respect, you want to give this person or group of people the opportunity to review the survey before it is deployed.

Consider how different the ensuing conversation would be if you were working your way UP the food chain and had not yet received the blessing of the senior decision-maker. In many companies you would be met with a slew of questions, suggestions, and additional survey topics from people interested in protecting their turf and following their own agendas. However, because you are working from the top down, the questionnaire has already been blessed by the "big boss" and the little bosses are less likely to muddy up the process.
 
This is not to say that you won’t get good feedback as you work through the stakeholders. You are likely to get a few good questions, comments, and suggestions. However, by following this approach, the process is streamlined and averts the "turf wars" common to large organization.

Bottom Line

Getting stakeholder buy-in of the questionnaire is a critical step in the customer survey process. Follow these guidelines and you should complete this important task quickly and effectively.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 7: Develop the questionnaire

In a typical customer survey process, the research supplier is responsible for creating the first draft of the questionnaire. In your kick-off meeting with the supplier, you should devote ample time to discussing the content of the survey instrument. Here is a recommended plan of attack.

These are the broad subjects under which the questions will be grouped. This list often includes:

• Overall company rating
• Importance ratings
• Satisfaction ratings
• Agreement ratings
• Open-ended questions

Once you have identified the subjects, brainstorm specific questions that should be included in each section. Take the subjects one at a time and stick to the principles of brainstorming: write down all suggestions without discussion.

Now is the time to review the questions you listed in each session. The discussion should include the following:

• Is this question consistent with the objectives of the research?
• Is this something that we have to know or is it merely something that would be nice to know?
• Are there any additional questions we overlooked in our brainstorming?

After this discussion, the supplier should be fully prepared to draft the survey instrument. What follows should be an iterative process between you and the supplier to revise the survey instrument until you are ready to share it with the stakeholders in your company (the next step in this process).

Note: As a rule, I recommend against getting more than one or two of your colleagues involved in the development of the questionnaire. Too many times I have seen the research “broth” spoiled by too many “cooks” on a cross-functional team. Although it is highly important to get the buy-in of all of these stakeholders, trust me: this is not the time to engage them.

Questionnaire development is a critical step in the customer survey process. Follow these guidelines and you should complete this important task quickly and effectively.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 6: Select a supplier

In Step 5, you created the schedule that will serve as the roadmap for the for the employee survey project. The first activity on the schedule is "Identify possible suppliers." This is how to do it….

1. Identify possible suppliers

If you already have one or more preferred suppliers, this step may not be needed. If you don’t have a short list yet, you need to create one. The quickest and most effective way to develop the list is to:

• Ask for referrals from people you trust
• Search the internet for “customer survey provider”; “customer survey expert”; “customer survey company”; “customer survey consultant”; etc.
• Submit a Request for Information (RFI) to companies that appear to be good prospects

2. Request quotes

It is often assumed that a Request for Proposal (RFP) is the proper way to communicate with potential suppliers. However, at this point, unless you already have a preferred provider, an RFP is overkill. Instead, you should use a Request for Quote (RFQ). This is a much simpler document that enables suppliers to quickly provide the information you need to narrow the field. For more information about this useful tool, see "How to engage market research suppliers in the planning of your research - a Win-Win approach."

3. Review quotes

Assess the information provided by the suppliers to narrow the list to a select group of two to four candidates from whom you will request a formal proposal.

Send a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the candidates on the short list.

5. Select supplier

Review the proposals and make your selection. Call the winner to inform them of your decision and schedule a kick-off meeting ASAP. As a courtesy, remember to contact the companies that submitted proposals but will not be awarded the project.

Selecting the supplier for your customer survey can seem like a daunting task. Following this 5-step process will enable you to make a timely and informed decision.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 5: Create a schedule

• Timing
• Responsibility
• Deadline

For a typical customer survey, the schedule might look something like this: 

A clear, comprehensive, documented schedule is a critical component of an effective customer survey program.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 4: Develop the process

Previous Steps
1. Determine Objectives
2. Select a data collection method
3. Get buy-in from managers 
 

Step 4: Develop the process

• Each significant activity
• The sequence of the tasks
• A brief description of each task

Staffing

Example

For a typical customer survey, the process might look something like this:

Bottom Line

A clear, comprehensive, documented process is a critical component of an effective customer survey program.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 3: Get buy-in from mangers

When a company contacts us about conducting a customer survey, it is often because one visionary person or a small group of people understands the importance of gathering customer feedback. The critical task then becomes convincing senior management of the need for a customer survey process.

Without this buy-in from senior management, the chances that the survey will produce meaningful change in the organization are greatly reduced. The challenge can seem formidable, but by following a simple 3-step process, you can enlist the support you will need from the management team. Here’s how.

Step 1: Present the need

Every company struggles with how to allocate resources to maintain satisfied and profitable customers. In the absence of information about how customers view the company, important business decisions are often based on little more than anecdotal evidence or historical impressions. As a result, companies often either ignore significant problems or waste valuable resources trying to solve problems that don’t exist. A well-planned, well-executed customer survey process can ensure the optimal allocation of limited resources.

Step 2: Present the benefits

Are your customers satisfied? Are they more satisfied today than they were last quarter or last year? In today’s market where competition for customers is fierce, the answers to these questions may make the difference for your brand. That’s why customer satisfaction research is so important. In a competitive marketplace, customer satisfaction is a key differentiator and significant component of a successful business strategy. The most effective means of achieving these benefits are a well-planned, well-executed customer survey process.

Step 3: Present the objectives

Setting proper expectations is a key component of a successful customer survey process. To this end, it is imperative that the top decision-makers understand and agree to the specific objectives of the research. Now is the time to share the list of objectives you developed in Step 1: Determine Objectives.

Getting buy-in from managers is a critical step in developing an effective customer survey process. To avoid problems and surprises, make sure every key decision-maker agrees with the need, benefits, and objectives of the research.

Best practices for customer surveys - Step 2: Select a data collection method

Online surveys are the most common method of data collection for customer surveys, followed by telephone surveys. Face-to-face and written interviewing methods are used far less frequently because they are generally too time-consuming, expensive and intrusive.

The selection of the data collection method should be based on the following considerations:

1. Respondents

• Which method is most accessible?
• Which is most convenient?
• Which is easiest to use?
• Which assures the highest level of anonymity/confidentiality?

2. Company

• Which method is more cost-effective?
• Which offers the better potential for a high percentage of completed surveys?
• Which offers the most honest responses?
• Which offers the most thorough responses?

When all or most customers have access to the Internet from work, online surveys are almost always the method of choice because they offer a number of advantages over paper surveys, including:

• Higher response rate
• Faster turnaround
• More thorough responses
• More honest/candid feedback
• Ability to require responses to certain questions
• Flexibility to skip irrelevant questions and ask follow-up questions
• No data entry costs
• No data entry errors

 Bottom line

When selecting the data collection method for customer surveys, choose the one that offers the most benefits for both the respondents and the company.