You may have a strong Email list of current clients or customers ready to give valuable and honest opinions to your business. If so, you are on the right track to automating your marketing and creating a group of brand advocates.
I know what you’re thinking. “My survey will offer great feedback! It’s a great way to show my customers their opinion matters!”
But beware. Creating a great survey may be more of a challenge than you think.
Before you get started creating that survey, make sure to be aware of these three customer survey keys.
Set a Clear Objective
Do not copy another survey. I repeat, do not copy another survey. It is vital that you take the time to think about the specific feedback that you need for your business.
The survey answers should create the data that you need to improve as a business, identify key customers, and grow your marketing. If you rely on the survey questions of another business, they most likely will not fit your specific needs.
So take a few minutes, and think about how you can get a full return on investment from your survey. If your goals is to identify company issues, your questions will be different than if your goal is to grow referrals and testimonials.
Focus on Open-Ended Questions
While it is important to include at least one or two scaled questions for analytic purposes and segmenting of customer feedback, open-ended answers are the true prize of any feedback.
Why? These answers can open up the survey to include topics, ideas, or thoughts that you may have never thought of or realized. Customers may notice an issue that you may have never realized or overlooked. Sometimes these are quick fixes that will appease numerous customers.
The opportunity to expand on feedback also opens up the possibility to receive glowing testimonials to your inbox. Happy customers will often provide you with fantastic feedback regarding specific employees or departments, which you can then recognize later at staff meetings.
With scaled questions dominating your survey, you eliminate these opportunities.
Follow Up is All the Difference
Your chance for marketing success begins after you receive your feedback. Every response provides an opportunity to increase your brand image both to your current and future customers.
Received a fairly negative survey about a small issue? Immediately respond to the customer thanking them for notifying you and fix the issue as soon as possible. When it’s completed, contact the customer again letting them know the issue has been addressed.
This screams fantastic customer service, and may turn an unsatisfied customer into one that is extremely impressed with your quick attention.
Received fantastic feedback from another customer? Be sure to follow up within 24 hours, letting them know you were thankful for their opinion. Most importantly, kindly request that they take a minute to post a business review on google, yelp or facebook. Be sure to include the direct links to make the process easier.
Also, be sure to add that client to a “brand advocate” list, which identifies your top customers.
Remember, every survey represents a small portion of your market. Make sure you are getting the right data to help you grow.
