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The Definitive Guide to Customer Surveys

Customer Surveys Explained and Why They are Valuable

 

Customer satisfaction is one of the most important metrics for businesses to track. When your customers are happy, they’re much likelier to remain loyal to the brand. Loyalty is always worth investing in, especially considering it costs five times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Wondering how to maximize satisfaction? Or to determine where your business currently stands? Start by administering customer satisfaction surveys.

Surveys that ask the right questions will allow you to measure the attitudes, opinions, and satisfaction levels of your customers. By analyzing the responses, you can identify areas of improvement and then take action before dissatisfied customers turn to your competitors. 

Customer surveys have the potential to be the one of highest ROI initiatives you’ll invest in, with a track record of yielding invaluable results. In addition to revealing pain points, their feedback can teach you about your products, your brand recognition, and even your competitors.

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Why Should Companies Use Customer Survey Services?

Like other kinds of data collection, administering customer surveys is a complex science. There’s so much more to it than posting generic polls on the company’s Facebook page, for example, or adding a multiple-choice popup to the website.

The best way to get responses that actually provide value is by turning to professionals. Whether you need a survey designed from scratch or you have an existing one that’s ready for data collection, Infosurv Research will take extraordinary measures to ensure validity, reliability, and bias reduction. Our mission is to conduct customer surveys that yield sound and valid conclusions, so you can achieve your business goals.

As a customer survey company, we’re proud to help companies reap the following benefits:

Improve Customer Satisfaction

The right surveys will allow you to identify areas where you can improve the customer experience, identify the key drivers that impact customer loyalty, and boost satisfaction in the process. A survey can reveal all kinds of pain points that might not have been unearthed otherwise.

 

Make Better Business Decisions

Customer satisfaction surveys can help you devise a more strategic path forward, so you can hit ambitious targets faster. For example, a company might use the data they compile to decide which products to develop, which marketing campaigns to run, or which pricing structure to use.

 

Increase Customer Loyalty

Happy customers are more likely to do business with you again, reducing customer churn. They will also be more inclined to recommend your business to others.

 

Gain a Competitive Advantage

By understanding your customers' needs and expectations, you can gain an edge over your rivals. As long as you use the data you gather to give customers exactly what they want, you’ll remain the better option in their eyes.

 

Boost Employee Morale

When employees know their work is making a difference and customers are actually happy with what they do, they are more motivated to be productive. Sharing relevant results with the entire team will remind them that their work is appreciated.

How Does Infosurv Approach Customer Surveys?

Unlike other companies that provide customer survey services, we don’t just stop after completing a single, isolated project. Instead, we apply the data we gather to help clients gain a more thorough understanding of their customers, target consumers, employees, market, and industry.

As for gathering said data, we have two approaches for doing so. The first is via transactional surveys. These are administered immediately after a customer has completed a transaction or milestone within their customer journey. They focus on specific aspects of the customer's experience, such as how long they waited, whether they were greeted when they entered the business, and whether the company representative was knowledgeable about their problem.

Our second approach to data collection is via relationship surveys. These are administered less often–typically once a year–and focus on the customer's overall satisfaction with your business, their likelihood of returning, perceptions of your brand, and their willingness to recommend your business to others.

The best timing and methodology of the survey will depend on its primary purpose. For example, if you want to measure satisfaction with a specific product or service, you may want to administer a transactional survey immediately after the customer has used it. If you’re interested in measuring overall customer satisfaction, on the other hand, you may want to administer an annual relationship survey.

Every survey we create has the same end goal: compile sound and valid conclusions that will help the client deliver better results. We take extraordinary measures to ensure the validity, reliability, and bias reduction of our surveys, and we use a variety of techniques to maximize response rates and ensure the accuracy of the results they yield.

How Much Does It Cost to Administer a Customer Survey?

Since every survey is unique, it’s difficult to provide a specific cost, or even a range for the total cost, without first discussing the project. The good news, however, is that conducting research has become incredibly affordable, thanks to advancements in technology. It’s never been easier to reach thousands of people at the touch of a button.

Factors that can influence the cost of conducting a customer survey include the size and scope of the survey in question, the way in which it will be administered, and the complexity of the data that will be collected and analyzed. To get a precise estimate, we invite you to reach out on our website and discuss your needs regarding customer survey services.

How Are Customer Surveys Administered?

At Infosurv, we offer a variety of survey administration options including online surveys, telephone surveys, paper-based surveys, mobile surveys, and more. Naturally, each has its own advantages, and the best approach for your company will depend on a variety of factors.

Online Surveys

The world’s largest and most successful companies use online surveys to conduct market research. Administering these surveys is fast and affordable, and the results they yield tend to be accurate. These surveys also have a high response rate because of their user-friendly interface and convenience.

 

Telephone Surveys

Despite the growing popularity of online surveys, telephone surveys remain a viable way to evaluate customer satisfaction. They’re especially helpful when organizations must gather data from hard-to-reach B2B, B2C, or consumer groups. Furthermore, they make it easy to apply probing techniques to gather more in-depth answers.

 

Mobile Surveys

Mobile data collection can yield lots of valuable information. Deploying mobile surveys is a great way to reach consumers when they have a few minutes of free time.

Reviews

Hover over the logos below to see what they had to say about their experience!

Atlanta
You all were very timely, professional, and easy to work with through the entire process.
I like the pre-meeting or kickoff call you all schedule to provide you with all information about what may be going on. You then provide good feedback and great recommendations to tweak the survey year after year.
I like the pre-meeting or kickoff call you all schedule to provide you with all information about what may be going on. You then provide good feedback and great recommendations to tweak the survey year after year.
NICE ACTIMIZE
Very effective guidance in survey prep. Very effective communication throughout the process. Very clear report at the end of the process.
Mission Bell
You listened, asked good questions and were flexible as our plans changed. You kept your commitments to us and provided everything we asked for. In addition to being knowledgeable and professional, each of the people we worked with were just plain nice!

Think of Us as Your Internal Customer Research Department

Our customer survey services can help you save time and money. By letting our team of experienced researchers help you design and execute surveys, you can gain valuable insights into your customers' needs and wants.

As your own “internal customer research department,” we will help with all aspects of the survey process, from developing the questions to formatting the survey to collecting and analyzing the data.

We didn’t become one of the leading customer experience survey companies by doing what everyone else does. From day one, we made it our mission to go above and beyond for our clients, so they can turn around and go above and beyond for their customers.

Our goal is to give companies actionable insights so they can make better business decisions. We do this through a strategic combination of intelligent research design, efficient and reliable data collection methods, and thoughtful analysis and interpretation.

Tailored solutions for small businesses through to Fortune 500

Schedule a Call

Schedule an informational call with one of our senior consultants. tell us about your organization's objectives and challenges.

Receive a Tailored Plan

We'll develop research that addresses the nuances of your business, then we'll deliver a plan to help you execute.

Improve Customer Experience

As your 'internal research team', we'll guide your people to ensure the data is translated into action, exploding your NPS!

Case Studies

Want to see our team in action? Check out the case studies below to learn how our customer surveys have helped real clients generate real results.

Explore our Case Studies!

Free White Paper

We’ve got nearly a dozen white papers–and counting!–for you to explore! Learn all about creating and administering customer surveys so they yield the most valuable data possible.

Explore White Papers now!

How Are the Results from Customer Surveys Analyzed?

Customer feedback survey results are only valuable if they are analyzed in a meaningful way. Our team of data analysts and marketing research consultants can help you turn your raw survey data into actionable insights that will improve your business. We offer a range of survey analysis packages to fit your needs and budget.

Our standard analysis reports provide a variety of statistical, graphical, and verbatim results summaries, all broken down by relevant respondent subgroups. For clients requiring a more robust analysis solution, we offer our Insights Report, which includes a number of proprietary analysis features and can also provide survey benchmarking against normative data.

We also offer custom analysis solutions, including banner tables, Excel spreadsheets, significance testing, coding of qualitative responses, and other special requests to meet your unique needs.

How to Turn Your Customer Feedback into Action

Once you’ve analyzed the feedback carefully and gathered a host of insights, it’s time to take action. This may involve making changes to your products or services, improving your customer service, or launching new marketing campaigns. Naturally, the best way forward will depend on the kind of feedback you received and the extent to which any proposed changes are within your company’s control.

Since our customer survey services are specifically designed to gather actionable insights, you can be sure the data we end up presenting will help you determine what to do next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Satisfaction Survey Design Best Practices

Do:

Define Your Goals

What do you hope to achieve with your customer satisfaction survey? Are you trying to measure customer satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, or gather insights into customer needs and wants?

 

Keep It Short and Sweet

No one wants to take a long survey, so make sure yours is short and to the point. Aim for no more than 10 questions for each unique survey.

 

Use Clear and Concise Language

Avoid jargon and technical terms that your customers may not understand.

 

Ask the Right Questions

Your survey questions should be clear, concise, and relevant to your goals.

 

Offer Incentives

Offering a small incentive, such as a discount or a chance to win a prize, can encourage more customers to complete your survey.

Don't:

Ask Leading Questions

Leading questions are questions that are phrased in a way that suggests a particular answer. Including such questions can bias the results of your survey.

 

Include Questions That Are Inherently Personal

Some questions, such as those about income or religion, are too personal to ask in a customer satisfaction survey. Avoid asking these types of questions.

 

Forget to Thank Participants

At the end of your survey, be sure to thank your customers for their time. Let them know you value their input and will use it to improve their future experiences.

Types of Customer Experience Surveys

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a company's products or services to others. NPS is calculated by asking customers one question: "How likely are you to recommend [company name] to a friend or colleague?" Customers are then asked to rate their likelihood on a scale of 0 to 10.

NPS is a valuable metric for measuring customer loyalty because it is predictive of future business outcomes. Studies have shown that companies with high NPS scores tend to have higher customer retention rates, faster sales growth, and more profitability.

 

Customer Effort Score (CES)

Customer Effort Score (CES) is a customer satisfaction metric that measures how easy or difficult it was for customers to complete a task or interact with a company. CES is calculated by asking customers one question: "How easy was it for you to complete your task today?" Customers are then asked to rate their ease of use on a scale of 0 to 10.

 

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) is a customer satisfaction metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a company's products or services. CSAT is calculated by asking customers one question: "How satisfied were you with [company name] today?" Customers are then asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10.

CSAT is a valuable metric for measuring customer satisfaction because it can help companies identify areas where they can improve their products or services. For example, if CSAT scores are low, it may indicate that customers are not satisfied with the quality of a company's products or that they are unhappy with the level of service they received.

 

When to Use Each Type of Customer Experience Survey

The best customer experience survey to use will depend on your specific goals. If you are looking to measure customer loyalty, NPS is a good option. If you want to gauge customer satisfaction, CSAT is a good option. And if you’re hoping to measure the ease of use of your website or customer service, CES is a good option.

It is also important to note that you can use multiple types of customer experience surveys in conjunction with each other. This will give you a more comprehensive view of your customers' experience with your company.

Types of Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions

Likert scale Questions

Likert scale questions ask customers to rate their satisfaction with a product or service on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very dissatisfied" and 5 being "very satisfied." Likert scale questions are a good way to measure customer satisfaction because they are easy to understand and answer.

 

Binary Questions

Binary questions ask customers to answer with a yes or no. These questions can yield a quick snapshot of customer satisfaction. For example, you could ask customers, "Did you find the information you were looking for on our website?"

 

Multiple-Choice Questions

Multiple-choice questions ask customers to choose from a list of options. These are a great way to get feedback on specific aspects of a product or service. For example, you could ask, "Which of the following features was most important to you when you decided to purchase our product?

 

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions ask customers to provide their own feedback. These are ideal when you’re looking for highly detailed feedback. For example, you could ask customers, "What can we do to improve our product?"

Industry Glossary

 

Binary Question:  A type of question that asks customers to answer with a yes or no.

Customer Effort Score (CES): A measure of how easy or difficult it was for customers to complete a task or interact with a company

Customer Feedback: Any statement or response from a customer about their experience with a company's products or services

Customer Journey: The series of steps that a customer takes when interacting with a company, from the initial contact to the final transaction

Customer Persona: A fictional representation of a company's ideal customer

Customer Retention: The percentage of customers who continue to do business with a company over time

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): A measure of how satisfied customers are with a company's products or services

Customer Segmentation: The process of dividing customers into groups based on their shared characteristics

Likert Scale Question: A type of question that asks customers to rate their satisfaction with a product or service on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "very dissatisfied" and 5 being "very satisfied"

Multiple-Choice Question: A type of question that asks customers to choose from a list of options

Net promoter score (NPS): A measure of customer loyalty, calculated by asking customers how likely they are to recommend a company's products or services to others

Open-Ended Question: A type of question that asks customers to provide their own feedback

Survey: A questionnaire that is used to collect feedback from customers about their experiences with a company's products or services