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.