The Customer Satisfaction Survey: An Essential Measurement of Success

The success of a business relies on the satisfaction of customers. It is a known fact that if your customers keep returning, they are more than likely content with the product or service; however, there is often the possibility that a returning customer doesn't always speak up when something is wrong. Or worse, a customer won't return and you will never be clear as to why that is. It's often the job of the business to measure its own performance. An excellent way to find out what your customer is thinking is to simply ask!

A popular and effective measurement of performance is the Customer Satisfaction Survey. A Customer Satisfaction Survey can provide you with the necessary information to satisfy the needs of your customers by answering all of the questions you may have in order to run your business effectively. How helpful are your employees? How satisfied are they with your product and service? What are changes customers would like to see? What areas don't need changing? When creating a customer service survey, you need to keep in mind the following key things:

Who should receive survey? Your customers of course! Through a formal assessment (Customer Satisfaction Survey) your customers will most often be honest with you and provide direct feedback. This information will prove to be valuable to you and your business.

What you include in your survey is extremely important. Be sure to include open-ended questions. You want to see what your customers are saying about you so you can either leave it or fix it! Remember to also take time to see your business from the customer's point of view. Questions can include:

• Turnaround time
• Quality of the product
• Services offered
• Customer service
• Product pricing/value for money
• Would you recommend the product or service to a friend

How you present the survey depends on your business. If you are an e-business, it makes sense to make your survey available over the internet. You could email the survey to all customers or make it available on your home page. Depending on your type of business, other options are mail outs or telephone interviews. Keep in mind that allowing customers to fill out information in their own time usually means you will have thoughtful and therefore more useful information as an end result. If you choose to create an online survey, one website I find particularly useful is Survey Monkey. This site is very easy to use and depending on your needs, can be free!

When to distribute the survey will depend on the circumstance. Survey completion rates are highest right after the service or product is delivered. This ensures the experience is fresh on the mind of your customer and therefore the most honest response will be recorded.

After the survey is completed and returned, be sure to use the information you receive to your advantage. By responding to the customer's obvious concerns and suggestions, you prove you genuinely care about their business and take everything they say into consideration. Don't just use the information you receive as a ‘how we did last year' report. Spot trends from the responses you receive and develop a formal action plan to help you and your business understand what your customer concerns are. If you respond to your customer's requests in a timely manner, you will show that surveys are well worth your customers' time and they will most likely be happy to respond to another one in the future.