Customer satisfaction surveys

- We must measure results to understand if we have achieved our desired outcomes. In an outsourcing environment, one of the best ways to measure the desired outcomes is via a customer satisfaction survey. Having a good survey process is essential to obtaining a true picture of client perception. The first critical element is timing. Ideally, you would perform a survey about the time the outsourcing commences. This is the baseline survey and provides the starting point for the rating of customer satisfaction going forward. Then, in six months, you could repeat the same survey to determine if customer satisfaction is changing, hopefully for the better. Thereafter, annual surveys should be sufficient. The next critical element is who will take the survey. The survey needs to be distributed to a representative sampling of client stakeholders who utilize your services. Explicitly decide who the customer satisfaction survey will be distributed to so you can ensure the questions asked are appropriate for that target audience. Work with the client to determine this list. Next, there's the duration of your customer satisfaction survey. My recommendation is to make the survey as short as possible to obtain the data you need. The longer the survey, the less likely people will complete it. Customize the survey questions for a specific customer group if needed. Ideally, it should take five or less minutes for most people to complete the survey. A more comprehensive survey can be provided for senior stakeholders to complete. How the survey is designed and written is another important consideration. You should engage a communications expert to assist with this exercise. Ideally, the survey would be administered by an independent third-party provider. Management should encourage all participants to complete the survey to maximize the information obtained. Here are some common survey topics, adherence to service levels, trust, communication, process efficiency, confidence in the outsourcer, and a short series of questions specific to the services being delivered. Ideally, you can allow for comments at the end of the survey. Finally, communicate the results of the survey and what actions will be taken based on the survey results. Nothing will frustrate people more than taking a survey and not seeing any action from the feedback provided. If you follow these key steps, you'll be equipped with the information you need to improve your service and strengthen the relationship between you and your client.