How to Survey Customers
Understanding the customer base of a business is an essential element of marketing any product or business effectively. The most effective way of gathering information about a customer, their purchasing preferences and habits, and their opinions is through a survey. All of this information can be used to adapt products and services to the core of a business, the customer.
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Instructions
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How to Survey Customers
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Determine the goals of the survey. Will the survey be designed to address customer satisfaction or be used to develop better marketing of the product or services? Once the end marketing results are determined the direction of the survey can be developed.
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Determine how the information will be gathered. The customer survey can be administered face to face, via interviews, by mail, by telephone and on-line. With the development of technology, completing a long written question-and-answer form are rare. Capturing the customer's opinion in the most convenient time is ideal.
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Determine what questions will be asked to gather the information needed. Ask questions that are directly related to the goals of the survey. While the name of the survey participant is not required, basic information like age, sex, and general location are necessary demographic points. Ask important questions about frequency of purchases, opinions of the product or services, and product-specific questions.
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Determine the manner in which the questions will be asked. Will the survey be multiple choice or will it have open-ended questions for the participants to fill in the blanks?
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Determine how many customers will be surveyed. Decide how many people will render a fair sample of what the general public may feel about the product or service. Everyone who uses the product cannot be surveyed. However, a survey of a group taken over a specific period of time may serve as a good reflection of the opinion of the general population.
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Thank the customers for their participation in the survey. Offer incentives for participation as well as tokens of appreciation for completion. Customers love to feel appreciated.
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Determine how the surveys will be tallied and analyzed. Once the surveys are completed the information must be gathered and analyzed to determine the next marketing steps. Be sure to accurately tabulate the responses of the survey participants. Note patterns in the responses as well as unusual occurrences.
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Listen to the results of the customers. Let customers know that their opinion was heard and valued. Make adjustments based on the survey findings if they are significant enough to affect the business
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to get a good sample of the survey participants for accurate information. Set a deadline under which the survey must be completed and stick to that deadline. Be honest when tabulating results. Tabulate the results of the survey by question. Some participants may not answer each question.
Do not survey customers in situations that may be inconvenient or uncomfortable.
