These days, many companies reach out to their customers to get feedback on their products and services, as well as their overall shopping experience. You may find an invitation to take this kind of survey on the bottom of a receipt, in a post-purchase email, or even on a website pop-up window, among other places. And to encourage shoppers to participate, there is often a small reward for doing so, or a chance to win a bigger prize.
The big question is, do these surveys make a difference? Are the answers properly evaluated? Are the questions even relevant? Is proper follow-up done?
Of course, the answer can be different depending on the company, but with the right process, companies can certainly improve the way they do business, and end up giving customers a better experience. Using proper follow-up, companies can even make amends for a less-than-optimal experience.
To begin, the right questions have to be asked. As part of this, it’s important to give customers the chance to add their own comments. Sure, it’s easier to evaluate answers from multiple-choice question. But this only reveals part of the picture.
Even more important than knowing whether or not customers are satisfied with their experiences is why. With that, a company can develop a relevant solution. If a company doesn’t know the cause of any dissatisfaction, changes made might not help, and could even make things worse.
A survey I recently took for AMC Theatres provides a good example of an issue that was handled well.
I had gone to see a movie with a friend, and as happens occasionally as a part of their loyalty program, I received an email the next day encouraging me to take a survey. This particular experience was less than optimal. The main issue was that the theatre was so cold that I left my winter jacket on throughout. Less bothersome issues were that the popcorn didn’t taste as good as usual, and we could hear some sound from the theatre next door.
I filled in the survey, which had both qualitative and quantitative questions. In addition to noting where I thought the experience fell flat, I also commented on the things that went well, like that staff were friendly, and the seats were comfortable.
The survey also asked if I wanted to be contacted about the experience. I said yes. I wasn’t expecting much, to be honest. However, within three hours, the theatre manager called me to discuss the issues. He offered to send coupons for free tickets, popcorn and soft drinks to make up for it. I received them a few days later.
I haven’t been back to that specific theater yet, but certainly will when I have a chance. I can’t know for sure that the issues I experienced have been completely resolved. However, I do know through this interaction that efforts are being made to keep customers happy. And these days, that says a lot.
