The information from customer surveys should deliver valuable insight that creates positive change in the organization and improves the bottom-line. Before doing anything else, it is critically important to define the objectives of the research.
Most problems with customer surveys can be traced back to the objectives or the lack thereof. Avoid the temptation to jump into the middle of the process and start drafting a questionnaire or selecting a supplier. Until you have a set of clearly-defined objectives, nothing else matters.
Well-defined objectives are the best way to assure a good outcome for your customer survey. When the goals of the study can be expressed in a small set of clear and concise phrases or sentences, the rest of the process becomes considerably easier.
One of the best ways to clarify your objectives is to decide how you intend to use the information. Be sure to commit the objectives to writing and refer to them at each stage of the process.
Here are some strategic and tactical objectives to consider when developing the customer survey process.
Strategic Objectives (Why you are doing the survey)
- Measure satisfaction with each aspect of the customer experience
- Determine how customers perceive your company relative to competitors
- Obtain suggestions for enhancing/improving products and services
- Identify statistically significant differences among demographic subgroups such as:
- Age
- Gender
- Length of time as customer
- Identify cost-saving opportunities
- Collect ideas for new products and services
- Improve communications with customers
Tactical Objectives (Key elements of a successful survey)
- Buy-in from management
- Buy-in from stakeholders
- Buy-in from customers
- High survey participation rate
- Candid feedback
- Positive customer perception of the survey process
Bottom line
Setting meaningful objectives is the first step in the customer survey process.
