A customer satisfaction survey is important for your contact center business for many key reasons:
- It gives you a better understanding of bottlenecks and challenges that customers face when using your products, processes, or services.
- It lets you narrow down specific areas or divisions within the business unit that need improvement.
- Customers are more likely to stay loyal to a brand that is not only willing to take feedback but is also willing to act on it to improve the customer experience.
- Using customer feedback surveys on an ongoing basis helps you to stay on top of industry trends and to keep up with your business competitors.
There are quite a bit of articles out there that tell you what to do, so let’s look at four things NOT TO DO with customer feedback surveys:
List Hundreds of Questions on the Survey to Make Sure You Cover Everything
I’ve been on the receiving end of customer surveys that take ages to complete simply because there’s so much material to cover. While you may think you’re being comprehensive, it is important to understand that having a long list of questions may deter your customers from completing the survey. Most people do not have the time or the patience to complete long surveys. Therefore, it is important to structure and word your surveys in a way that is concise, clear, and easy to read and complete.
Focus on the essentials when crafting survey questions. Online customers especially tend to have very short attention spans and are unlikely to stay on to complete a survey if it is going to take more than a few minutes. What information do you need from the customer to understand the following:
- What they liked.
- What they didn’t like.
- What they felt could be improved.
- Any suggestions or specific feedback they have.
- How they would rate the interaction on a scale and what you can do to close the gap.
Use Vague Response Categories
Vague response categorization on your surveys makes it difficult for customers to select the most appropriate answers. It can also make it difficult for you, as an organization, to obtain information that can be of any real benefit.
Define your categories as simply and concretely as possible. It should be easy for the customer to understand what you are asking for. It should also be an easy experience for them to quickly select the correct option.
Use Internal Jargon as Much as Possible
One of the biggest turnoffs for customers is the use of internal jargon. These words may be commonplace within your work environment but can be extremely off-putting and confusing to the customer. Always use common English language and terminology that can be easily understood by your customers. For example, you may be curious as to how the customer liked your IVR system. If you use the term “IVR” in your survey, you may find many of your customers scratching their heads wondering what you are talking about. In this instance, it may be better to ask the customer if they liked your Self-Service phone option.
Not Testing the Survey Beforehand for Flaws
Not testing the customer feedback survey for any potential challenges before release can have a negative impact. A problem with a survey can be as simple as not having a certain country listed in the “Where are you from?” question and not providing an alternative for entering that country’s name. You may also find simple grammatical or spelling errors that could have easily been prevented.
Customer satisfaction surveys can be a powerful tool to access information that can grow your business exponentially. But how you do your surveys is just as important as the fact that you decide to do them. For more detailed advice on creating effective surveys or for guidance on creating specific surveys for your organization, get in touch with us today.
