The Art of Surveying Clients for Business Success

Surveying your clients is not just a routine task; it's a vital undertaking that can make or break your business. At Encompass-CX, we believe in the power of collecting feedback, and we recommend following three levels of feedback collection to ensure you do it right. Let's dive in!

Level 1: Annual Relationship Assessment - Your Yearly Business Checkup

Think of the Level 1 annual relationship assessment as your business's yearly physical exam. Just like a doctor takes your temperature, blood pressure, and asks about your well-being, you need to assess the health of your client relationships. Are they solidly invested, or is there a need for intervention? By conducting this checkup, you can predict the trajectory of the relationship and take proactive measures before it's too late.

Level 2: Touchpoint/Point-of-Contact Feedback - Capturing Moments of Truth

Level 2 client feedback, also known as touchpoint or point-of-contact surveys, is all about capturing those critical moments of interaction. We call these moments, Moments of Truth. Imagine paying for your oil change, and a survey pops up with three simple questions: Was your car ready on time? Did the bill match the estimate? Was your car left clean? These transaction-specific questions help identify any letdowns or failures in the client experience that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Let's take a moment to visit a bustling Starbucks store. As customers line up to collect their cups of joy, imagine a survey taker with a tablet asking, "How likely would you be to recommend us, on a scale of one to ten?" By spotting patterns of low scores in specific stores, Starbucks can target those establishments for further investigation.

For example, they could survey only caramel macchiato customers and later survey those who ordered lattes. If they discover that caramel macchiato drinkers had a negative experience while latte lovers had a positive one, it's clear there's an issue to address. This approach can even lead to deep market research projects for improvement.

Point-of-contact surveys serve two crucial purposes. Firstly, when a company falters during a transaction, most customers won't voice their disappointment unless directly asked. By giving them an opportunity to express their concerns, you can promptly apologize and make amends, preventing them from silently walking away with no intention of ever coming back. Secondly, people tend to remember negative experiences more vividly than positive ones. It's unfortunate but true. By capturing their feedback at the point of contact, you can either fix their negative experience right away and turn that negative memory into a positive one.

Level 3: Targeted Data Collection - Unveiling the Root Causes

If Level 2 surveys reveal ongoing problems like frequent product breakage, late deliveries, or packaging failures, it's time for level 3 feedback: argeted data collection. The market research department can step in and conduct focused investigations. They'll dig deeper, asking questions like: Where was the package shipped from? How was it packaged? Did it travel on a pallet? Was it shipped by rail or truck? This kind of thorough analysis is necessary to address underlying issues.

However, it's important to avoid overwhelming respondents with lengthy and unrelated questions. We've seen many survey efforts fail because of this common mistake. To achieve effective feedback, questions must be clear, relevant, and organized to prevent confusion or disinterest.

Ultimately, feedback is the lifeblood of any successful business. But merely collecting feedback isn't enough; it must be strategic, informed, and ongoing. Failure to implement the art of feedback correctly can result in missing crucial problems that could hinder your business growth. So, make sure to prioritize feedback and nurture your client relationships for maximum success.

Success starts with Encompass-CX

That's it for our exploration of the art of surveying clients for business success! We hope you found these insights valuable in understanding the importance of strategic feedback collection. If you're looking for a comprehensive customer experience management application and survey solution, look no further than Encompass-CX. Our platform is designed to empower businesses in gathering, analyzing, and acting upon customer feedback effectively. With Encompass-CX, you can streamline your feedback processes, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive growth. Visit our website today to learn more and start transforming your customer experience journey. Your success starts with Encompass-CX!

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