Chapter 8 Article

Introduction

• Customer surveys are a crucial tool for companies to gain insights about customer experience.

• Poor survey design can waste resources and alienate customers.

• The importance of getting customer feedback through well-designed surveys is emphasized.

Common Mistakes in Customer Surveys

• Many companies fail in their survey strategies, leading to ineffective data collection and poor customer relationships.

• There are five major mistakes companies often make with surveys:

1. Insufficient Questions

• Problem: Surveys may ask only one or two questions to keep it simple for respondents.

  • Example: Single-question "net promoter score" surveys (e.g., likelihood to recommend).

  • Drawback: Lacks specificity needed to accurately identify customer pain points.

• Implication: Limited information can lead to incorrect conclusions and misallocation of resources.

2. Excessive Questions

• Problem: Some surveys contain 50 or more questions, overwhelming respondents.

• Effect: Respondent fatigue can lead to poor quality and incomplete responses.

  • Example: Airline surveys asking detailed questions about several touchpoints in the journey.

• Key Principle: Avoid unnecessary questions that do not inform business decisions.

• Optimal Length: Aim for 7 (± 2) questions to gather meaningful data without overwhelming respondents.

3. Ambiguous Questions

• Problem: Questions that are open to interpretation can mislead data interpretation.

  • Example: Combining two attributes in one question (e.g., friendliness and knowledge of servers) can confuse respondents.

• Solution: Ask clear, specific questions to avoid misinterpretation and gather actionable insights.

4. Lack of Compensation

• Issue: Many companies do not compensate respondents for their time, leading to a poor response rate.

  • Example: Offering minimal compensation—like a small charity donation for a lengthy survey—may insult potential respondents.

• Recommendation: Offer reasonable compensation corresponding to the survey's length and sensitivity (e.g., $5-$10 for a 7-question survey).

• Conclusion: Providing compensation can significantly improve the quality of survey data.

5. Over-Frequency of Surveys

• Problem: Companies often request feedback too frequently from the same customers.

  • Scenario: Regular feedback requests can lead to annoyance even from loyal customers.

• Impact: Excessive survey requests can deter customers from responding and may lead to customer churn.

• Best Practice: Limit survey frequency to respect customers' time and improve overall response rates.

Conclusion

• Surveying customers effectively is critical for companies looking to improve customer experiences.

• Implementing best practices, such as appropriate question length, clarity, compensation, and survey frequency, enhances the value of customer feedback.

• Maintaining customer respect and engagement will contribute to successful marketing research and customer loyalty.