Surveying Your Customer

Surveying Your Customer . . . or finding out if there is friction that is preventing the customer from doing more with your company!

There are a number of software programs available today that you can use to survey your customer. Stafford Printing has been engaged in such a program for a client for almost 10 years, which in itself is an indication of the success of the program. The astounding response rate of the survey, and the valuable data collected, gives our client’s customer service team so much information it takes months to digest and follow up with the respondents.

The survey only asks two questions designed to measure customer loyalty. One question is about the quality of their experience and the other about the likelihood they would refer the company. Because the questions are easy to answer – on a scale of one to ten – and the responses are on a postage paid postcard, it is incredibly easy to complete. Another important component is the comments section. So much valuable information is collected, and the company is able to use it to improve customer service and solicit new customers.

The second part of the headline – about friction – is often not considered when businesses look to enhance customer service. Are there friction points in your business? Are customers spending too much time on hold or standing in line? Are they having to be patient to do business with your company because your website is slow or not up to date, or doesn’t do what it should?

We are the midst of a transformation – think Amazon! To learn more about this, I suggest reading or listening to The Convenience Revolution, How to Deliver a Customer Service Experience that Disrupts the Competition and Creates Fierce Loyalty by Shep Hyken – https://hyken.com/online-store/the-convenience-revolution/.

Companies typically choose a focus – customer service, operations, or sales, for example. I like to think Stafford Printing is customer focused. We aren’t perfect, just like computers, but we try hard to satisfy our clients and provide services that help them grow their businesses. We see this as our only reason to exist!