Surveying your customers shows that you want the best for them, and will also help you improve the quality of your business – but only if it is done right. 

Asking consumers what they think of your business will show you what areas you need to improve in, as well as where you’re already doing quite well. Knowing what customers want – as well as showing them you’re interested in what they think – will ultimately provide you with the data you need to enhance the quality of your services. Internally a survey will help by assisting you with identifying which changes you should prioritize, and which initiatives you can put on the back burner for now. Given how helpful customer surveys can be, all kinds of businesses should take note of how to properly utilize them. For more on how to get the most out of surveys, read the advice below:

1. Identify what exactly is driving customer satisfaction
For the most part there are specific reasons why a customer chooses to stick with your business or switch to a new one. One of the most powerful uses of the data you collect in a survey is sifting through it to determine what the key drivers of customer satisfaction are for your company. So, if you notice that customers want more transparency in their dealings with your employees, measure the results of including more details in pricing discussions. Identifying the drivers of satisfaction and then analyzing the results of subsequent changes is crucial to getting the most out of surveys.

2. Eliminate bias from your surveys for more poignant results
For a clearer picture of what key customer satisfaction drivers are, you’re going to have to make sure your surveys are free of any hints of bias. Randomizing which customers are chosen for a survey has long been a noted method for eliminating bias. By doing so you’ll get the clearest results possible from a large sample, free of geographic, racial, gender, age or any other kind of bias. And any survey that does contain any sort of bias should always be looked at critically, as the results may not be wholly accurate and useful for your business. 

Surveying customers is a vital tool for improving satisfaction – but doing so properly is key to getting the best results. Use the two tips above to make sure your surveying consumers correctly.