In past articles, we've explored the value of creating customer satisfaction surveys. We've discussed how they can be used to increase sales and gauge loyalty among your client base. But, there's a science to creating them. Without following a thoughtful approach, you can easily disrupt your chances of getting access to useful, usable data from your population.

Today, I'm going to provide you with a blueprint for your own surveying efforts. I'll describe the guiding principles that you should keep in mind when designing your questions. I'll also explain how to select your population, choose elements to measure, and what to ask in order to receive the information you need.

Guiding Principles

Consider your respondents' perspective. In most cases, they're willing to help you by answering your questions; they won't require an incentive. But, there are a few reasons why they're open to doing so. First, the invitation to respond to a survey implies that your company is looking for opportunities to make changes that will impact their customers. People want to be a part of that change by expressing their opinions.

Second, most people consider their time important. They're far more willing to help you if they know that doing so won't require a significant amount of time. If you can design your survey to be relatively short (the few questions, the better) and easy to understand, you'll find it easier to encourage participation. What's more, if you can convincingly express that your company will act upon the responses, prospective respondents will be more likely to help.

Selecting Your Population

How you choose your population will depend upon the type of satisfaction survey you're conducting. For example, you may want to measure whether people are happy with the level of support they've received on the phone from your representatives. Alternatively, you might want to identify how people perceive your company. The former is based upon interaction; the latter is focused upon perceptions and your business's position within a market.

If your survey is measuring the level of contentment with your support or sales staff, the best time to receive an accurate response is immediately following the interaction. Your selection of the population will also be influenced by the nature of the interaction. For example, customers who call on the phone should be randomly selected (i.e. every 7th caller) while each visitor to a retail store can be asked to participate.

Choosing Elements To Measure

There are a lot of different elements that you can measure with respect to your company, its brand, products, customer support, and sales staff. Keep in mind that your population's willingness to respond is partially related to your survey's brevity. If you ask too many questions, your abandonment rate will increase.

If you'd like to measure your customers' level of satisfaction with your company's products, focus on how they perceive your products' quality, reliability, durability, and design. On the other hand, if you want to know what your customers think about your support or sales staff, your questions will take a different path. They should focus upon responsiveness to complaints, how issues are resolved, and professionalism.

How To Get The Information You Need

Your customers represent a rich source of information for your business. By conducting satisfaction surveys, you can identify factors that are contributing to your company's success (or, lack thereof). The insight you gain might reveal why certain products are hindered by low sales, why call volume at your support center has increased, or why a recent product launched failed. Review the guiding principles above to design customer satisfaction surveys that allow you to tap into the information you need.