Formal survey has emerged as by far the best method of periodically the customer satisfaction. The survey are not marketing tools but an information-?gaining tool. Enough homework needs to be before embarking on the actual survey. This includes: Defining Objectives of the Survey Design Survey approach Develop questionnaires and forms Administer Survey (Email, Telephone or Post) Method of compiling data and analyzing the findings Format of the report to present the findings There is no point in asking irrelevant questions on a customer satisfaction questionnaire.
The basic purpose is to find out what we are doing right or wrong. Where is the scope for improvement, where do we stand visit-Г-visit other suppliers. How we can serve the customer better? A customer satisfaction measurement survey should at least identify the following objectives: Importance to customers (Customers priorities) Customer’s perception of supplier’s performance Your performance relative to customer’s priorities. Improvement Priorities for Survey forms should be easy to fill out with minimum amount of time and efforts on customer’s part.
They should be designed to actively encourage the customer to complete the questions. Yet they must provide accurate data should also be sufficiently reliable for management decision making. This can be achieved by incorporating objective type questions where customer has to “rate” on scale of say 1 to 10. For repeated surveys, you could provide the rating that was previously accorded by the customer. This works like a reference point for the customer. To state any additional requirements or report any shortcomings that are not covered by the objective questions.
Normally, we deal various personnel at various levels in the customer’s organization -?the buyer, user, receiving inspector, finance and purchase person etc. Surveying a number of respondents for each customer gives a complete perspective of customer satisfaction. It may be necessary to device a different questionnaire for each of them. Respondents must be provided a way to express the importance they attach to various survey parameters. Respondents should be asked to give a weighting factor, again on a rating scale of say, 1 to 10, for each requirement.
