6 steps to monitor customer satisfaction
Engaged customers are loyal customers
A well-designed customer satisfaction feedback program is crucial for improving business performance. But, how we obtain that feedback varies.
Quick in-the-moment feedback surveys, consisting of a maximum of three to four questions and comments, provide real-time feedback at the point of engagement. This, in turn, enables service recovery and can turn a negative customer experience into a positive outcome when addressing complaints immediately.
Surveys that are typically sent via email following an in person or web interaction, as well as more in-depth market research assessments provide insight into the customer experience but can also be used for service recovery. All surveys provide insights that may lead to the launch of new products and service lines over the long term.
Here are six steps to help you to optimize your customer satisfaction feedback process:
1. A quick and simple process
Firstly, a customer satisfaction survey should be concise and provide the customer with an indication of how long it will take to complete. Keeping your surveys short and to the point will ensure greater and more meaningful participation. It is good practice to ask between one to four questions for quick, in-the-moment and non incentivized feedback. It should not take more than a minute or two to complete the survey.
Some companies incentivize customers to participate in their surveys to keep them engaged with their brands. In this way, they are always in touch with their market. By continuously polling their customers, they are able to respond quickly and efficiently to new trends.
2. Ask the correct questions
A survey is only as effective as the questions that you ask your customers. Avoid binary questions that elicit “yes” and “no” answers. Your questions must obtain the detail that enables you to identify potential issues and problems that need to be resolved to improve the customer experience. By asking relevant questions, your customers will be able to articulate their reasons for their perceptions and actions quickly and efficiently.
You will also be able to obtain factual and usable statistical information by asking specific questions. Avoid the pitfall of asking loaded questions that lead your customers to provide answers that you want to hear. You do not want an echo chamber, but rather an objective and accurate account of your performance that will inform strategic business decisions.
It is important that your questions are also unambiguous and easy to understand. Preferably, use an informal style of writing. Furthermore, adopt an engaging tone by using simple words and avoiding business and technical jargon that is specific to a workplace, profession or industry.
Always include an open ended question as this details exactly what customers want to tell you, providing great insight into their experience.
[Related content: 15 questions you need to ask on your next customer feedback survey]
3. An invitation to participate
Your surveys need to provide context. Let your customers know why it is important for them to participate in your surveys. They are more likely to partake if they know that you intend to use this information to improve their experience with your brand. Thank them for participating and let them know that you will respond to them if they report a problem.
4. Provide multiple feedback options
It is important that you are able to capture your customers’ input during or immediately after their interaction with your brand. This must also be done frequently. You can do this by aligning your survey with touchpoints along the customer journey.
Provide multiple channels for collecting feedback. Use SMS, QR codes, NFC tags and kiosks to capture in-the-moment feedback from customers in physical locations. Use url’s when soliciting feedback via email, social media or websites. Instant feedback enables you to garner accurate information about your customers’ experience.
5. Respond to feedback
It is important that your staff receive notifications immediately so that they are able to respond quickly and efficiently to complaints and problems that need immediate attention.
In today’s environment, customers expect to be heard and problems be addressed timeously. Remember to thank them for completing your survey.
6. Designed specifically for customer feedback
Use a system that has been designed specifically for customer feedback. Such a system will simplify the development of surveys and provide an interface that allows for attractive and branded designs. Surveys need to appear professional, be mobile optimized and display correctly on all communication platforms and devices. Their appearance, feel and functionality will further enhance customer engagement and survey completion.
The system also needs to have comprehensive capabilities to capture and analyze all feedback, provide real-time updates, and help to obtain actionable insights from the survey results. Configurable dashboards, AI driven analytics, push-reporting are some of the features that a modern system needs to provide.
Listen to your customers
Companies that listen to their customers are better positioned to satisfy their needs. This is because they have an in-depth understanding of how their customers feel about their brand, products or services, among others. They are also aware of their customers’ likes and dislikes. In turn, this helps to identify areas of your business that need improvement to create an even better customer experience.
The importance of a satisfied and engaged customer cannot be overstated. Satisfied customers are loyal and more likely to repurchase and become brand advocates by sharing their experience with others.
