How to Create a Customer Service Survey

How to create a customer service survey that works begins with knowing you organization. For example, from 1997 to 2010 I worked for a home remodeling company. At that time, the company grew to be one of the fifty largest home remodeling companies in America. More importantly, we were recognized locally and nationally for outstanding customer service. The home remodeling industry isn’t known for customer service—just the opposite, yet this organization was the only company of any type to win the Central Indiana BBB Torch award for outstanding customer service for four consecutive years. Want to know how we did it?

How to Create a Customer Service Survey that WorksIt Starts with Product

To begin with, we offered outstanding products, installed by trained company employees, with a dedicated service department. It starts by providing a superior product; nothing customer service can do will compensate for inferior products or poor service. If you have inferior product or service you don’t need a survey. You already know what you need to do.

Follow Up

We followed up on every installation and service call. Installation managers would inspect jobs before, during, and after the installation. Service people surveyed the customer after every service. The administration followed up with a phone call within three days, and we mailed or emailed a survey. However, it didn’t end there. We also followed up on any and every less-than-positive response to a survey. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Yes, it is, but during my time there, the company increased its net volume more than twelve times. Much of this was due to the reputation we established.

Creating a Survey

A customer service survey will vary by product, industry, and target audience. A survey that may work for a B2C service provider, such as a remodeling company, might not fit the needs of a B2B vendor or a not-for-profit organization reaching out to donors. Each survey should be custom-made to fit the organization. With that in mind, here are two keys to creating a customer survey that works.

Keep it short and simple

First, limit the survey to five questions or less. The questions should center on product, service, professionalism, communication, and responsiveness. Not only should you limit the number of questions, but each question should also be concise. How much time does any consumer have for a survey? Keep it simple.

Don’t use leading questions

A closed-in question limits responses to yes or no. For example, “Did you like our service?” Regardless of the answer, you need to know what’s most important, which is why. A closed-in leading question is worse, “You liked our work, didn’t you?” Use open-ended questions such as, “How would you rate our service and why?” or “What would you suggest for improving our product?” If you’re going to share ranges such as one being great and five being unacceptable, leave room for comments on every question.

Get to the Goal

The reason for a customer service survey isn’t to justify activities or pat yourself on the back; it’s to grow your business by identifying areas of improvement as well as strengths to solidify and repeat. And that leads to what should be the primary goals of customer service, which are to reduce costs by decreasing mistakes and increase business by developing product advocates.

Example Customer Service Survey

Thank you for completing this survey. We’re looking for ideas to make our organization the best at customer service and want your input. You may not have an answer to every question—that’s fine; give us the opinions and suggestions you do have.   

What was your customer service experience with our organization?How could we improve customer service?Throughout the process how was our communication with you?How responsive were we to your needs?One being great and five being unacceptable; how would you rate our overall professionalism?How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

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Image by Shafin Al Asad Protic from Pixabay

 

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