Let’s be honest: it’s been a ghoulish year for many businesses and consumers.
With markets getting increasingly competitive and customer retention becoming more of a challenge, the last thing we want is to give consumers reasons to run away screaming.
Gartner predicts that 89% of businesses expect to compete mainly on customer experience (CX). But how do you know if you’re getting it right?
That’s where feedback surveys come in. Here are 3 ways freakishly good feedback surveys can help you improve CX in a way that drives loyalty and revenue.
1. Be specific – so you’re not in the dark about customers’ painpoints
There could be a multitude of reasons for that abandoned shopping basket or incomplete mortgage application form. And you won’t know what the key issues are unless you ask. Whatever sector you’re in, you need insight on friction points and blockers so you can address them. Otherwise, you’ll start seeing customers leave faster than a vampire at daybreak.
The secret: ask specific questions designed to draw out actionable information.
Yes, there’s a place for questions like Net Promoter Score (NPS). But simply asking customers to “Rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 10” won’t give you much insight into why they feel a certain way or what you can do to improve.
Instead, try asking: “Were you able to find everything you were looking for? If no, please explain.” This will prompt a response that you can measure and action.
2. Be personal – or you’ll end up in an email/SMS graveyard
Make your survey personal so customers feel valued.
For example, when someone purchases from your website, promptly send them a survey asking them how they found shopping with you – and make it specific to the experience they just had.
Customers can sniff out a one-size-fits-all email at 20 paces. But if they feel your communication is personally aimed at them, it shows you value their opinion and care about what they have to say. It also means your brand will stand out in a sea of identikit surveys that get sent straight to the bin.
Tasty incentives can also encourage participation, and these also work well when they’re personalised. Basing a reward on a customer’s previous purchase could be just the thing to get them sinking their teeth into your survey.
3. Be consistent – so you can deliver treat-tastic customer journeys
Customer feedback is key to improving customer journeys. But to reap the benefits, you need to collect regular input. When you gather and analyse feedback consistently, you can make evidence-based decisions about where to invest in customer experience improvements.
Many companies make the mistake of seeing feedback as a one-time thing. But to really harness the potential of an effective customer survey, the conversation needs to be an ongoing part of your business strategy.
That way, your organisation can evolve alongside your customers – ensuring they’re involved, invested and much less likely to ghost you.
Download our whitepaper on how to create a better customer journey – and get more frighteningly good insights.
