The majority of surveys focus on customer satisfaction, and not customer loyalty. In today’s highly competitive world, customer loyalty is the true key to creating and sustaining a successful future. Curating a short, direct survey that asks the right questions can help you better gauge this loyalty and stay competitive.
Many customers view satisfaction surveys as unimportant among their other priorities. With a daily barrage of e-mails, texts, messages, and meetings, plus a multitude of details to remember and deadlines to meet, your customers may not have the time to complete a satisfaction survey.
If not properly designed, surveys can draw attention to negative aspects of your company. For example, what if a customer had a poor experience with a PM, superintendent, or someone in your department? Questions on the survey that remind your customer of this experience should be avoided.
Customer satisfaction surveys don’t always provide data that precipitates action – that is, they don’t provide the data your company needs to ensure it is proactive in preventing complaints or improving service. And, surveys often don’t encourage action on the part of your customer to refer other customers to you.
To better focus your responses, try asking, “Would you be willing to recommend our services to another developer?” Asking this question provides you the opportunity to pick up the phone and ask the customer “Is there someone you suggest we contact?”
Even if it’s short and well-designed, a survey may not be the right method of collecting feedback. For example, if you’re working with customers who have hired your company for a multimillion-dollar project that will span several months or years, sending out a survey may not make sense.
In addition, the impersonal nature of online tools diminishes the vital nature of direct human contact and may even hinder one of the most important aspects of business – building relationships! Meeting face-to-face and asking questions related to customer service, performance, and people shows customers you care.
Sample Survey
If you choose to conduct a survey, make it as simple and inviting as possible. One way to get customers to participate is by hosting a customer appreciation event where clients are asked to complete a short form before entering.
Make the survey short and sweet; it should take less than five minutes to complete. Use a scale of 1-5 when ranking preference or priorities, and limit the number of open-ended questions. Here’s an idea of how a satisfaction survey could read:
Contractors invest significant time and money into client satisfaction surveys in hopes of obtaining valuable information to not only help market their business, but also for the vitally important purpose of continuous improvement. Implementing surveys effectively can help you gather the data needed to stay ahead of the competition and stay connected to your customers.
Copyright © 2017 by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). All rights reserved. This article first appeared in March 2017 Bottom Lines newsletter.