Customer satisfaction surveys are increasingly gaining importance in all industries. Customer surveys shall be objective driven and treated seriously. The success lies in effective implementation of customer feedback. With this, organizations can boost their performance to provide a competitive edge.
Although customer satisfaction surveys are common to all industries, intent of this article is to focuses issue of customer satisfaction surveys related to IT industry. The author has used the word client and customer alternatively to keep the contest appropriate however they are same. The word ‘surveying organization’ is used for the parent organization with whom client is having a contract.this should not be misleaded with third parties who does surveys on behalf of parent organizations
Customer satisfaction surveys have become routine exercises for all organization. The amount of serious ness organizations have in carrying out Customer satisfaction surveys is visible, However there are still issues in terms of understanding what organization wants to achieve while carrying out the survey and implementing the results of such surveys.
Customer satisfaction surveys broadly addresses 3 major areas:
Organization level surveys provide feedback in terms of capabilities of Organization where in organization can understand major strengths or opportunities for improvement in their practices on those aspects, organization as a whole. It is also possible that organization get feedback from their clients so as to how they are placed among their competitors.
Project Level surveys provide feedback on aspects of projects experienced by client and provides input on strengths or opportunities for improvement at project level.
Certain organization especially consulting firms seek feedback from clients on individual basis and the places where teams are small. In this case the client rates individual in terms of his strengths and weaknesses rates individual.
Survey content also varies based on short term, or long term relationship as well as one time or repetitive business relationship with clients.some of them are based on volume/size, geography and value of the contract of business.
Selection of clients for survey
There are different approaches adopted by the surveying organizations
Sampling method has one interesting aspect that is, if Organization has objective to know problem areas and draw up improvement plan based on feedback then they can choose organizations where things are not going all that well, where as if objective is to know all good things (for marketing publicity) then they can choose organizations where relationship is already doing very well.
Organizations need to adopt judicial approach based on their objective.
There are some fundamental aspects, which gets undermined while carrying out the surveys:
1. Are the surveys carried out by independent group or authorities?
It is far more important that independent group or authorities that was not directly or indirectly involved in the function of execution of client's project or assignment carry out the survey. This can only provide impartial approach to the survey, It also gives client ease of mind in giving frank opinion. However it is also important to ensure that the surveyors possesses relevant knowledge, communication and presentation skills for conducting such surveys. In today's situation most of the organizations prefer do surveys through third party by hiring services from independent organizations.
2. Is the objective of survey clear to Organization itself?
It is far more important to understand what organization wants to achieve out of it. For carrying out such surveys organization need to have short term and long term goals.
3. Is the objective of survey clearly stated and understood to client?
Clients can provide value add inputs if objective is clearly known. Such objectives shall be based on mutually beneficial aspects to foster the business relationship further
4. Is their sufficient transparency, openness and confidence developed between the two organization?
This helps in creating conducive atmosphere and better interaction during the survey.
5. Are the surveys done with right audience at appropriate time?
Surveys have to be done with the department or personals with whom the association of team or project was existing and that too with in a span of their availability. So also surveys have to be done with in prescribed period to ensure genuinety of the feedback. Surveys done at wrong time with wrong audience can defeat whole purpose of doing survey moreover it can mislead the organization for looking at improvement opportunities.
Although organization have schedule of quarterly/half yearly or yearly survey, some of them even prefer to do interim surveys to understand quick pulse of sensitive clients or with the fear that person concern may not be available during predetermined time there after.
6. Is the methodology of survey agreed between the two organizations?
This aspect needs attention to avoid confusion and inconvenience from either side during actual survey. This is also important from preparation point of view. If U wish to do audio or video recording while doing the survey, this shall be agreeable to the client. Methodology chosen for the survey has to be agreeable, convenient and conveniencing to either side.
7. Are the survey contents well prepared?
Survey contents need good amount of preparation and rehearsal. Survey shall not give a feeling of monotonousness and repetitiveness. Variety of questions may add freshness. One difficulty faced by surveying organizations is that questions asked in survey are glossy and they are unable to provide trigger for any action. If probing questions like "In your opinion which requirements or features were missing in developed product" can provide action plan to the organization to check why we missed these requirements. Question like ‘how do you find our capability in meeting your requirement if answered as "average", what clue it gives to the organization to know where capability was inadequate? And what will be the action for this?
Now a day's larger clients have multiple approved vendors supplying similar products or services in which case the survey shall specifically cover the questions such as "What are the weaknesses/strengths of our organization or projects as compare to others competitor" this gives some idea to the organization among the competitors.
Another important point in survey content is one must ask client, for each aspect or survey question, how important is the aspect for client's organization. This can provide priorities to surveying organization to plan actions and provide more attention to those aspects.
8. What is the benefit of survey to client?
This is one of the interesting question where surveying organization hardly thinks. Why client should spent his valuable time in responding to survey? It is a responsibility of surveying organization to impress upon the mutual benefits of the survey to his client and provide him confidence that this will further help in providing better services.
Post survey dilemma
The real hick-up starts after getting feedback of customer satisfaction survey. Although it provides comfort to the organization if the survey ratings are better, it also poses problem if your customer gives you good rating and you want to know what exactly you should do to become better.
The importance lies in a fact that if you have asked clear probing questions, you are likely to get some triggers where by some action plans can be drawn.
Many customer satisfaction surveys of many organizations generates enormous statistics to exhibit strengths or area of opportunities, however they lag in effective implementation of the aspects which needs attention. The corrective and preventive actions based on customer feedback many times lose focus if it is not planned and implemented in a structured way.
Customer feedback at organization level shall immediately draw attention of senior management if the feedback from all customers voices identical weaknesses. One needs to decide the strategy to work on organizational weaknesses proactively and derive short term and long term improvement plan. Such plan shall be periodically discussed in review meetings and closely tracked to closure. Appointing the initiative leader to provide full attention towards implementation of improvement plan may work. Next time when senior management personal meets client he must get a pleasant surprise from client's management that organization has shown drastic improvements on aspects, which were spelled out during survey as an area of improvement.
Customer satisfaction survey feedback at Project level must act as eye opener if it precarious and trigger following actions.
Customer satisfaction survey feedback at individual level if received, shall be used to do introspection. If feedback is good one can think of improving till it reaches its best level but more importantly if feedback is not so good one can think of reducing his or her weaknesses with structured approach. The division monitoring the performance of individual shall assist him or her to enhance skills and knowledge to improve qualification.
Although customer satisfaction surveys are widely done by organizations in much formal way, there are indications that you actually get if your organization has very well defined customer complaint mechanism during the execution of your assignment or project. With this you can very well judge pulse of your client This is similar to the mechanism, which provides early detectation of fault. If you have captured all the displeasure of your client throughout the execution of project or assignment, You can actually convert all such responses in appropriate manner to arrive at strengths and area of opportunities. In fact you get an early opportunity to take corrective action to satisfy customer better by checking his need and expectations from time to time. This also helps in building confidence level with client.
I am strongly of the opinion that customer complaint shall be closely linked with customer satisfaction index as one of the aspect, although no customer complaint doesn’t mean customer is completely satisfied.
Lastly, customer satisfaction surveys shall be treated as serious affairs and the results of survey shall be viewed religiously to boost the organization performance to provide competitive edge.
Lets Hang!