Customer Feedback That Really Fuels Change: Why the Survey Format Matters!
Recently, I’ve been hearing from clients and prospects alike that they want something better from their customers, the kind of insights that can’t always be captured in a quick online survey. We’ve seen several companies looking to add or bring back phone surveys after finding that digital-only feedback left too many questions unanswered. It appears that more companies are realizing that digital feedback tools, while efficient, provide feedback that is sometimes incomplete. That got me thinking about why phone feedback still matters and what role it should play in today’s customer experience programs.
Anytime, Anywhere Customer Feedback
Our firm started providing customer feedback services in the early 2000s. Since digital technologies were not as developed as now, and few clients had customer email addresses, the phone was the mode we used.
Since then, we have added email, text, kiosk, and other digital options for getting feedback. We call our approach Anytime, Anywhere feedback. We want to provide our clients with options that work best for them. As noted in my introduction, of late, we have noticed some interesting feedback from several clients and prospects. They want to use phone surveys or integrate phone surveys into their digital feedback process. Why? These clients and prospects tell me they need more customer information than a digital survey can provide. Our research confirms this. Digital surveys offer about half of the comments, and phone surveys do. The comments on phone are often very detailed.
What Do You Need from a Customer Feedback Survey?
What you need from a survey depends on what you are surveying about. For example, digital feedback will work fine when surveying simple parts or service orders. Digital works well because the service performance dimensions are few and well-defined. For example, if you order a less complex (generally less expensive), you want to know if the part arrived on time, was priced correctly, and was the correct part. There is little need for color commentary about the experience. However, sitting in the shoes of a dealer or OEM who just did a major repair or delivered an expensive and complex part, you want to know more. For example, you will want to know more about the communication that occurred, the knowledge of those involved in the service, and any subsequent issues you may have experienced because of the service. Getting this kind of feedback from a digital survey is very hard.
How you get Customer Feedback That Really Fuels Change
One survey mode does not fit all feedback needs in the CX feedback world. It all depends on your information needs and the complexity of the service or product you provide the customer with. The graphic below provides a helpful framework for you to think about the best mode or modes to use for your feedback.
One last point I want to make. Think back to when you were in school and received a paper from the teacher with a C+, and there were few comments to let you know why or, more importantly, what you needed to do to improve. Considering which survey mode or modes to use in your feedback program, consider the customer feedback you need to improve your score.
As always, I welcome your feedback. Let me know what you think.
Additional reading:
Get Started Today
Let’s deliver exceptional experiences that drive growth and customer loyalty.
