The guide to customer satisfaction
FAQ Part 1 of 7
This is part 1 of our 7-part blog series. In this series, we address common questions and answers, and you'll discover how to take your customer satisfaction to the next level. In this 7-part blog series, you won't miss a thing about customer satisfaction,
employee satisfaction, net promoter score (NPS), customer effort score (CES), customer journey, reviews, customer experience and so on.
In Part 1 of this series, we listed three frequently asked questions about conducting a customer satisfaction survey.
Let's begin.
In Part 1 of this series, we listed three frequently asked questions about conducting a customer satisfaction survey.
Let's begin.
What are good questions for a customer satisfaction survey?
Creating a good questionnaire is an art. Not too many questions but the right ones. Is the question clearly worded and not open to more explanation? Does the language suit the target group? If the question is not clear, the customer will drop out.
We distinguish between relational and transactional research. A relational research is aimed at evaluating the relationship and performance over a period of time (for example, a one-year evaluation). A transactional survey focuses on a concrete interaction with the customer (e.g., after purchasing a product). The general recommendation question (NPS) lends itself better to relational research and the ces question lends itself better to transactional research. Of course, the type of research that best suits your situation depends entirely on the goals and kpi's you want to achieve with the research. Do you care about the professionalism and knowledge of your employees? Then ask about "employee expertise. Do you think the employee's thinking along with the customer is important? Then ask how the customer rates this. So there are different questions possible and thus very dependent on the predefined kpi's.
Always give customers the space to give open feedback. Customers often have something specific they really liked or would like to have improved. You will be surprised at the amount of comments, but also at how diverse customers' suggestions are. This is valuable information for making improvements. Accordingly, it is wise to offer a contact option. Dissatisfied customers like to "let off steam". Give this opportunity, respond quickly and respond appropriately. By doing so, you create an extra contact moment and strengthen the service feeling, thus increasing customer satisfaction.
We distinguish between relational and transactional research. A relational research is aimed at evaluating the relationship and performance over a period of time (for example, a one-year evaluation). A transactional survey focuses on a concrete interaction with the customer (e.g., after purchasing a product). The general recommendation question (NPS) lends itself better to relational research and the ces question lends itself better to transactional research. Of course, the type of research that best suits your situation depends entirely on the goals and kpi's you want to achieve with the research. Do you care about the professionalism and knowledge of your employees? Then ask about "employee expertise. Do you think the employee's thinking along with the customer is important? Then ask how the customer rates this. So there are different questions possible and thus very dependent on the predefined kpi's.
Always give customers the space to give open feedback. Customers often have something specific they really liked or would like to have improved. You will be surprised at the amount of comments, but also at how diverse customers' suggestions are. This is valuable information for making improvements. Accordingly, it is wise to offer a contact option. Dissatisfied customers like to "let off steam". Give this opportunity, respond quickly and respond appropriately. By doing so, you create an extra contact moment and strengthen the service feeling, thus increasing customer satisfaction.
What is a (good) customer satisfaction score?
There is no one number that applies always and everywhere. Indeed, it is a question depending on industry, service, customer involvement with the product/service, contact moment, and so on. Still, we make an attempt to answer the question. On an answer scale of 1 through 10, most companies use a target score of at least an 8.
Customers who are "well satisfied" generally give a rating somewhere between 6 to 8. In other words, not distinctive. Customer expectations are met, but that's it. They are fairly indifferent and therefore feel no loyalty towards the brand. If a competitor makes an attractive offer, they easily break off the relationship. Only at an 8 or higher can we speak of customers who are more than satisfied.
At a 9 or 10, the organization has more than met the customer's expectations. This means that there is a more positive than expected performance of the organization towards the customer. A customer compares his/her experience with his/her expectations during the process and with similar contact moments she experienced at other organizations. The customers, who give a 9 or 10 have a strong intention to continue the relationship and recommend the organization to friends, family and acquaintances. They are the ambassadors of your brand.
There are many companies that want to know how their satisfaction scores compare to the competition. However, this should not be a goal. Even companies with the highest scores do not always perform 100%. There is always room for improvement at every company. Therefore, compare scores over time. Use customer feedback to optimize your (purchasing) processes.
Customers who are "well satisfied" generally give a rating somewhere between 6 to 8. In other words, not distinctive. Customer expectations are met, but that's it. They are fairly indifferent and therefore feel no loyalty towards the brand. If a competitor makes an attractive offer, they easily break off the relationship. Only at an 8 or higher can we speak of customers who are more than satisfied.
At a 9 or 10, the organization has more than met the customer's expectations. This means that there is a more positive than expected performance of the organization towards the customer. A customer compares his/her experience with his/her expectations during the process and with similar contact moments she experienced at other organizations. The customers, who give a 9 or 10 have a strong intention to continue the relationship and recommend the organization to friends, family and acquaintances. They are the ambassadors of your brand.
There are many companies that want to know how their satisfaction scores compare to the competition. However, this should not be a goal. Even companies with the highest scores do not always perform 100%. There is always room for improvement at every company. Therefore, compare scores over time. Use customer feedback to optimize your (purchasing) processes.
How do you increase your customer satisfaction survey response rate?
When collecting customer feedback, you naturally aim for the highest possible response rate. The higher the response, the more customer feedback, the better the customer experience of your organization can be designed, the better the customer satisfaction.
Email invitation
Response rates depend on many factors. Is the e-mail invitation appealing enough? Is the subject of the e-mail appealing enough? Is the e-mail address reliable enough? These are seemingly small details, but of great influence on your response rate.
Content matters if the e-mail is personalized. Addressing someone with "sir" when the person is a lady is disastrous. Make sure the e-mail salutation is personal. So a personalized salutation "Dear Mrs. Holkema" or "Dear Sylvia" instead of "Dear Sir, Madam. A non-personalized e-mail smells like spam. If you have been helped by Piet or Mariet, then you also want a personalized e-mail from Piet or Mariet. Respondents are more motivated to let Pete or Mariet know how nicely they were helped than an anonymous sender.
'Moments of Truth'
These are the moments that really matter. Choose the right moment for a feedback request. Common criticism of customer satisfaction surveys is, "I don't feel like giving my opinion after every fart. A valid point. Therefore, ask customers for feedback only at the times the customer feels are important. Don't bother the customer with a customer satisfaction survey after every contact moment or for insignificant purchases. Make choices. Determine the "moments of truth" in your service.
Once you have determined the "moments of truth" in your service, it is important to send the feedback request as close to the contact moment as possible. By requesting the feedback as soon as possible after the contact moment, the contact is still fresh in the customer's mind and the customer's willingness to provide feedback is greater. Sending the customer satisfaction survey two weeks after the contact moment is less successful.
Want more tips to increase response rates? Read here our blog with 20 tips on how to take your response to the next level.
Email invitation
Response rates depend on many factors. Is the e-mail invitation appealing enough? Is the subject of the e-mail appealing enough? Is the e-mail address reliable enough? These are seemingly small details, but of great influence on your response rate.
Content matters if the e-mail is personalized. Addressing someone with "sir" when the person is a lady is disastrous. Make sure the e-mail salutation is personal. So a personalized salutation "Dear Mrs. Holkema" or "Dear Sylvia" instead of "Dear Sir, Madam. A non-personalized e-mail smells like spam. If you have been helped by Piet or Mariet, then you also want a personalized e-mail from Piet or Mariet. Respondents are more motivated to let Pete or Mariet know how nicely they were helped than an anonymous sender.
'Moments of Truth'
These are the moments that really matter. Choose the right moment for a feedback request. Common criticism of customer satisfaction surveys is, "I don't feel like giving my opinion after every fart. A valid point. Therefore, ask customers for feedback only at the times the customer feels are important. Don't bother the customer with a customer satisfaction survey after every contact moment or for insignificant purchases. Make choices. Determine the "moments of truth" in your service.
Once you have determined the "moments of truth" in your service, it is important to send the feedback request as close to the contact moment as possible. By requesting the feedback as soon as possible after the contact moment, the contact is still fresh in the customer's mind and the customer's willingness to provide feedback is greater. Sending the customer satisfaction survey two weeks after the contact moment is less successful.
Want more tips to increase response rates? Read here our blog with 20 tips on how to take your response to the next level.
Getting started
Feeddex offers both the software, implementation and guidance to successfully conduct customer satisfaction surveys. The customer journey is the starting point for determining contact moments and approaching the customer for feedback. With Feeddex, you have continuous insight into your customers' feedback after important customer contact moments. This way, improving customer satisfaction and customer-centricity in your organization always remains a priority.
Please contact us at service@feeddex.com or call our office at 023 750 57 57.
In part two of the blog series, we address the frequently asked questions and answers about employee satisfaction.
Please contact us at service@feeddex.com or call our office at 023 750 57 57.
In part two of the blog series, we address the frequently asked questions and answers about employee satisfaction.