Why bother with customer surveys?

Posted in Customer relationship management.

Customer surveys can give you valuable insights into your business when done properly. No matter how big or small your business, doing a customer survey will help you improve not only your business but also your product or service.
Here’s what you will gain from deploying an effective customer survey:

Practical advice for product improvement

Depending on your customer survey and your key questions, a targeted customer survey will help you to improve your product or service. If you allow your customers to give feedback on a specific product or service that you offer, you will gain valuable insights into exactly how your product performs in real-life settings.
Customers are often very direct, which can only benefit you. They will identify hidden needs as well as what they have come to expect from your business, be it a specific product feature or your customer service in particular. By listening to your customers, you will be able to improve upon your product or service and retain customer loyalty. At the same time, you will also be able to gauge current customer satisfaction ratings and just how well (or not) your product is doing in the marketplace.

Key insights into your target market

A customer survey will also feed you valuable information about your target market. No matter how well you think you know your market, there is always more to know. Direct questions will allow you to see inside the minds of your customers. A good question to include, for example, is, ‘What’s the one thing we should never stop doing?’ The answer might surprise you, especially if you are so focused on one aspect of your business that you haven’t realised that customers come to you for a completely different reason. It’s this kind of insight that will help you grow your business in the right direction. Plus, what to keep building on to keep loyal customers. Oftentimes, it is not the product or service that makes customers come back, but something simpler such as how funky your website looks or how friendly your checkout staff is.

Giving you the competitive edge

A customer survey is also a powerful tool to find out exactly what you have over your competitors, or not, whatever the case may be. In order to find out just how well you compare alongside your competitors, include direct questions with this in mind. To-the-point questions will reveal your unique selling proposition from your customer’s point of view. It will give you a competitive advantage over your business rivals, especially when it comes to marketing your product or service.
A well-crafted customer survey will enable you to identify exactly what your customers value and what in their opinion makes your product stand out from the rest. This key business intelligence will allow you to market your product in such a way that highlights these features and qualities.