Whether you have been in business a short time or many years, a customer survey can be a very valuable business building tool. A well planned customer survey goes well beyond just finding out what your client likes or doesn't like. It gives you a host of new tools to increase your business.

The Rewards Of Doing A Customer Survey:

See What They See:
Looking at your business through the eyes of your client is the only way to know if you are really making them happy. 90% of unhappy or marginally happy customers won't ever tell you. People hate confrontation, and it's not worth it.

In today's competitive market, not only do you have to set yourself apart by being different, you also have to go overboard to extract any negative impressions that may have occurred during the service experience. Most of your clients won't tell you. Some of them will go somewhere else.

Some will use you less often, and others will continue to use you for fear that the next company might be worse. Each time they use your service or buy your product there is something that irritates them. They don't bring it up because they fear retaliation or humiliation (an expectation that has evolved from the 20th century loss of customer service character).

By broadcasting that you are a different kind of company that does care, and constantly offering a real, non-threatening way for them to communicate with you, you will get a response.

Get Specific Information
By having a rating system for specific aspects of the service experience, you can pinpoint the weaker areas. Categories such as "Quality of Work," "On-Time Arrival," "Payment Options," "On The Job Courtesy," "Telephone Courtesy," how they feel about your reputation, experience, education, and guarantee each get a separate rating so that you can see how your customer perceives each particular item.

Opportunity to Build Awareness
Asking whether your customers are aware of your Referral Reward Program or certain extra services that you offer, you actually make them aware of it by the very nature of the question.

A Great Follow Up Tool
Now that you know what they like, how they rate certain items, and what programs and services they are unaware of, you can put a follow up plan into action. By capturing the few that may have been unhappy or irritated, you have the opportunity of turning them into life long clients.

Low or average ratings on payment options may cause you to promote those options a little more. Target mailing information on your programs and products that your customers are not aware of can create a great deal of extra income.

A Lifetime Supply of Testimonials
This tool can cultivate an incredible number of testimonials in a short amount of time. By asking for signed permission to use their comments in promotional and advertising campaigns , you will have plenty of material in your file for future use. Below I'll show you an outline for what your survey should include.

Create Immediate Business
Running special offers or incentives to buy a certain product or service during a certain period of time has been proven to be an effective means of increasing revenue. It can be one of the best strategies for building a fast growing business.

If you have a sizeable client base that already trusts you, offering them incentives to buy extra services or use your services more often will get the phone ringing. It will also get more of your testimonials back. Offer something free for returning the survey. Obviously it doesn't have to be a good testimonial to get the prize, they just have to respond.

COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE SURVEY

1. Strong, Meaningful Headline - "Give Us 60 Seconds of your time, and we will give you $50.00 worth of...," for example. Make your survey short and sweet. People are busy, but human nature tells most of us that it's okay to give anyone a minute. "Do you have a minute?" is our way of saying "I need your help, but I won't take very long." Kinko's has a "one minute" survey card that they sometimes hand you on the spot. The headline indicates that this is not going to be a waste of time. Many companies actually pay for survey participation.

2. Communicate The Purpose - Underneath the headline should be short paragraph stating the purpose of the survey. The purpose of the survey, simply stated is "to find out what you like and don't like-see things through your eyes."

3. Give Specific Rating Instructions - Outline for the participants how to use the rating system. If you have a 1-10 rating system, then tell them what each means, what to circle or fill in, and what to put if unsure.

4. Ask What They Like MOST about your company-Let them fill this one in themselves.

5. Ask What They Like The LEAST about your company.

6. Ask "Are You Aware Of Our...Program?" - This is used for a program, service, or product that you want to make absolutely sure that everyone in your client base is aware of. Choose the most important one(s).

7. Get Permission To Use Testimonials - "May we use your testimonial for promotional purposes?" (followed by signature) *The author does not imply that this signature is all you need to avoid liability - consult with your attorney.

8. Tell Them Exactly What To Do - List your fax, mail, and e-mail instructions to make it as easy as possible for them to return it.