Because data from customer experience surveys now often far outweighs flashy advertisements or catchy jingles, business professionals (and the market researchers they employ) have to get it right. They must design and administer a customer experience survey that elicits relevant, honest and actionable feedback. Otherwise, they risk annoying, antagonizing and even angering respondents, who either knowingly falsify their answers in retaliation or abandon the survey altogether. Avoid these top three mistakes with your customer experience surveys if you want the right people to give you the information you need:
With the multitude of generic DIY survey platforms now available on the market, along with their usability, it’s easy to think that surveys should be sent whenever questions arise. But sending too many requests for information can be a big turn-off for consumers who don’t have the extra time or energy to be bothered needlessly. Work with a professional market researcher to determine the truly significant events and send customer experience surveys only after those moments. In addition, make sure that the same respondents aren’t targeted too frequently or asked the same things over and over.
There is a direct correlation between number of survey questions and survey dropout rate. Specifically, the longer a survey is, the more likely it is that it won’t be completed. If you add in open-ended questions that require respondents to write out their answers (as opposed to multiple choice, scaled and/or dichotomous questions), the dropout rate increases further. Don’t make your customer experience survey any longer or more arduous than necessary. Keep your focus on a single objective, weeding out respondents who don’t have relevant information by allowing them to skip over questions that don’t pertain to or interest them. You should also suggest the length of time it will take for respondents to complete your survey and include a status bar so they can easily track their progress through the survey questions.
Seldom do any of us do anything without wanting something in return. We don’t necessarily need something grand. Sometimes a simple “thank you” is enough. Other times a small gift might be warranted. But if you’re not demonstrating respect and appreciation for your respondents’ time and expertise at every survey opportunity, then you are probably turning a lot of people off and not attracting everyone you could be. Use incentives like raffle entries and gift card rewards to entice people to complete your customer experience survey. Let them know how you’ll use their insights. And always, always thank respondents for their help.
Customer experience surveys, when used appropriately, can help businesses strengthen everything from brand image to customer satisfaction. Contact our team at Communications for Research (CFR) to learn how they could specifically help you.