Customer satisfaction surveys are essential for understanding the public's perception of a company and developing strategies for improvements and adjustments.
Even though employees and entrepreneurs are always aware of their problems and know what needs to be improved, there is no one better to point out mistakes and successes than consumers , right?
External opinion makes all the difference and should be considered by companies, after all, it is very valuable and generates great directions.
How have you been handling your customer satisfaction surveys? Have you implemented one in your company and actually utilized the results?
Check out our post and learn more about the topic!
What is customer satisfaction research?
Satisfaction surveys are a strategy whose main function is to gather customer feedback . This feedback can translate into business opportunities.
Carrying out satisfaction surveys allows the company to learn more about the user and their perceptions, expectations and achievements regarding the products or services .
There are several types of research that can be applied, but, regardless of the style chosen, they have common characteristics, which are the objective, the hypotheses and the sample.
The objective is the first step in carrying out research. After all, without knowing what you want to find, it's difficult to formulate questions and choose channels, isn't it?
Next, you need to define your hypotheses. These relate to the impressions and results you expect to find at the end of the research. They will help you with your analysis and even define your questions.
Finally, after knowing the objective and what you are looking for, you need to define who the research will be aimed at and calculate representative samples.
What are the benefits of customer satisfaction surveys?
Customer satisfaction surveys can be conducted with both external and internal audiences, as both are very valuable to organizations .
By focusing on external audiences, consumer habits are realistically mapped. Internally, managers can measure the satisfaction of those who apply their company's values and are in constant contact with their products or services.
Regardless of which audience you choose, customer satisfaction surveys offer several benefits. We've listed some below! Check them out!
Helps you learn more about your customers
Working with the purchasing journey and consumer experience is the strategy of the moment, so it is always necessary to know more about the public .
With surveys, you can direct questions and learn even more details about your personas. There are countless possibilities for discovery, and each piece of information is certainly valuable for future action.
Highlights opportunities and areas for improvement
Gaining insights directly from customers is a major competitive advantage for businesses. After all, with this data, entrepreneurs can build on their insights and create truly worthwhile investment strategies.
More than that, it is possible to verify and understand what needs to be attacked more quickly, what opportunities need to be seized and what improvements need to be made to the business .
We can also mention competitive analysis, which must be done to measure the weaknesses and strengths of competitors.
Having data allows companies to put “guesswork” aside and make strategic decisions with more confidence .
Greater customer retention
There's nothing worse than an unhappy customer, who can become a detractor of your brand. Negative marketing and feedback impact much more than a satisfied customer and can have dire consequences.
Therefore, the sooner you listen to the customer, the greater the chance of discovering their flaws, winning back old customers and seeking to win new ones.
Integrating technology into customer satisfaction research: how to obtain more assertive feedback
Technology plays a key role in customer satisfaction surveys, allowing companies to collect data faster, easier, and more accurately. Furthermore, technology offers features that allow companies to segment customers, personalize surveys, and track results in real time, such as:
- Agility: Technology allows companies to collect data faster, which is essential for identifying problems and opportunities for improvement in a timely manner.
- Accuracy: Technology helps ensure the accuracy of collected data, which is essential for making better decisions.
- Segmentation: Technology allows companies to segment customers, which is essential for collecting more relevant feedback.
- Personalization: Technology allows companies to personalize surveys, which increases response rates and customer satisfaction.
- Real-time monitoring: Technology allows companies to monitor survey results in real time, making it easier to identify trends and take corrective action.
To effectively use technology in customer satisfaction research, companies should consider the following factors:
- Research objectives: Before starting the research, it's important to define the objectives you want to achieve. This will help you choose the most appropriate channels and questions.
- Collection channels: Technology offers a variety of data collection channels, such as email, SMS, social media, chatbots, and apps. The choice of channel should be based on the target audience and the research objectives.
- Questions: Questions should be clear, objective, and relevant to the survey's objectives. It's important to avoid questions that are too long or complex, as they can discourage customers from responding.
- Data analysis: The collected data must be carefully analyzed to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
How to get customer feedback
Customer satisfaction surveys gather feedback , and it can be obtained in a variety of ways. You don't need to choose just one strategy; the key is to combine multiple channels and reach users in a variety of ways.
Post-sale forms
The end of the purchasing process is a great time to get feedback . After all, they'll be in the heat of the moment, with complaints and compliments ready to be made.
At this point, it's important to try to find out what motivated them to buy, how they found your company, what their experience was like during service and sales, among other information.
CRM
CRMs are platforms that gather customer information and help salespeople and employees understand each customer's journey, offering solutions and anticipating their needs.
Having a database of this type helps in collecting and storing data, also providing information about user satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Even if indirectly, and not exactly working as a large survey, CRMs help to offer insights and give insights into habits and preferences, which can become feedback .
Customer satisfaction survey
The satisfaction survey itself, which is the most direct form, after all, the company asks what it really wants to know.
It's important to develop objective, relevant surveys that don't take up too much of users' time . It might be a good idea to offer discounts, freebies, and rewards to further engage respondents.
Emails and social networks
Using email and social media is a great way to capture attention and attract customers to surveys. They allow you to personalize messages and reach specific audiences.
It's also worth collecting data on responses to posts, reactions, and interactions in these spaces. Users on social media provide a lot of spontaneous feedback
NPS
NPS a form of customer satisfaction survey.
The methodology consists of asking a single question, always related to recommending the company to other people.
Generally, on a scale of 0 to 10, it assesses how likely a customer would be to recommend the company to a friend or colleague.
After this question, it is possible to open up to qualitative research, giving the customer the chance to provide more details, but it is not mandatory.
The NPS calculates detractors, those who gave between 0 and 6, neutrals, with ratings of 7 and 8, and promoters, with scores of 9 and 10.
Conclusion
Regardless of which strategy your company chooses for customer satisfaction research, it's important to remember that more than just collecting data, it needs to actually be used to improve and benefit customers .
Collect data, analyze and extract information, understand your customers' profiles, and develop plans that enhance the customer experience , whether in contact channels, Marketing, Sales, Logistics, or any other area of the company.
Always be aware of the chances of customers recommending your brand, whether expectations were met or not, their perceptions, and the chance of repeat purchases through your channel.
Customer satisfaction surveys can provide diverse insights and many solutions in the short, medium, and long term . How have you addressed this issue within your company? How important is customer feedback to you?
Now that you know a little more about customer satisfaction surveys, get started and learn more about customer relationships and their importance . See you next time!
