14 replies to this topic

[Simon]

We launched a customer satisfaction survey on the website about a month ago and to date we have had seven replies. Considering there were 14,000 visitors to the website during September this is a very, very poor return rate indeed (0.05%). And this got me thinking?

I thought about why the response has been so poor, indeed massively lower than any postal or telephone customer satisfaction surveys I have previously been involved with.

Perhaps we didn't promote the survey well enough, maybe website surveys generate much lower return rates compared to other methods or is it that we are all just completely Surveyed Out? By 'surveyed out' I mean totally fed up with receiving survey after survey, which has been exacerbated in recent times because of the requirement to monitor customer satisfaction contained in ISO 9000:2000.

I'd be very interested to hear any comments you may have, what is your position on customer satisfaction surveys - do you complete them? Personally I only complete them when I'm either very happy or unhappy which is not very helpful I know. Also what methods do your organisations use to monitor customer satisfaction, and how successful are they?

By the way if you have the time please take our One minute survey.


Regards,
Simon

[Puzzle]

We used to send surveys, before 9000:2000 !!

But not anymore. As you say, they only get completed if the recipient is in a good/bad mood and therefore the result is skewed.

If you have a sales dept (or similar) their input is valuable. They do see the customer face to face. Mind you if they know all the local laybyes intimately ............

[Jim Wade]

There are lots of alternative ways to keep an eye of customer satisfaction - see attachment for example.

rgds Jim

Attached Files

•  monitoring_cust_sat.doc   23.5KB   147 downloads

[Simon]

Cheers Jim for a very useful doc. I would be inclined to cross off number 19 though...

B)
Simon

[rheath]

I Agree, Number 19, I am sure would significantly increase feedback but would we be able to manage it..

An amusing anecdote from early in my career: :D

A major crisp manufacturer, a customer of ours had a focus year on quality. The MD was adamant that the number of customer complaints had to be significantly reduced.

At the end of the year there had been a massive improvement in the level of complaints raised. This was heralded as a major success..

Whilst at one of their manufacturing sites I was eager to find out how they had done it? What could I learn? Hopefully I could apply their practices to my business.

The answer was that they had removed the complaints phone number from the crisp packet!!

[Simon]

Richard,

Do you really think a funny anecdote will make me feel any better?
:)
They didn't fool me anyway as I maintain a microfiche archive of the packaging from everything I ever purchase so I was still able to complain.

I've taken the overwhelming apathy to the Customer Satisfaction Survey as an indication of everyone's relative Okayness with everything. Hence all trace of it has now been removed.

Please be sure to let me know if things ever aren't Okay - Err OK.

Regards,
Simon

[Simon]

I've only just realised only two members have bothered to answer the survey about surveys. One of them was me and the other one is fibbing. LOL.

Simon

[rheath]

It was too much to resist..

[Simon]

I found a good article on Quality Digest Magazine website and thought I'd resurrect this thread.

ISO 9001 and Customer Satisfaction: Surveys aren't the only way to obtain critical feedback.

In December 2000, the ISO 9001:2000 standard introduced customer satisfaction to the quality management system lexicon. Although more than three years have since passed, when people hear the words 'customer satisfaction,' they still think of surveys. This association is understandable yet limiting. Many other methods beyond surveys exist for measuring customer perceptions. Two lesser-known methods are focus groups and undercover customers.

Read Full Article

Please feel free to add your comments.

Regards,
Simon

[Jim Wade]

This attachment may be of value - reminds us of other ways of finding out what the customer perceives.

rgds Jim

Attached Files

•  monitoring_cust_sat.doc   23.5KB   55 downloads

[yorkshire]

Jim,

Isn't this the same document as previously posted?

On point 19 - I work for a brand name food producer and we have recently updated our website to make it easier for customers to send feedback. Most of the time genuine complaints come through but during the school holidays we have a significant increase in complaints . We then have to explain it away to our directors.

[yorkshire]

One thing that I always find interesting when looking at consumer feedback is that the issues that seem big to us in the factory don't figure in customer complaints.

For example for several years I worked in a factory which produced roasted and salted peanuts for all the major supermarkets. For each supermarket we had a minimum spec for the amount of whole peanuts in the packet. We had QA and operators checking the "splits" on a half hourly basis, product was placed on hold, diverted to other customers, arguments between departments, sent to pig food .

What did we mess about for?

I never received a customer complaint about how many whole peanuts were in a bag

Next time you buy a bag of nuts carry out a quick check of the amount of whole nuts. If you feel its below standard write and complain. You never know it might make someones life worth while.

[Simon]

On point 19 - I work for a brand name food producer and we have recently updated our website to make it easier for customers to send feedback.

Yorky,

A voluntary feedback facility is a good idea. Just don't ask for any and whatever you do don't call it a survey - it's guaranteed to draw a complete blank.

Regards,
Simon

[Simon]

For example for several years I worked in a factory which produced roasted and salted peanuts for all the major supermarkets. For each supermarket we had a minimum spec for the amount of whole peanuts in the packet. We had QA and operators checking the "splits" on a half hourly basis, product was placed on hold, diverted to other customers, arguments between departments, sent to pig food .

What did we mess about for?

I never received a customer complaint about how many whole peanuts were in a bag

Yorky,

It's no wonder your QA was tighter than Rik Waller's jock strap - now there's a thought...

Regards,
Simon

[Jim Wade]

Isn't this the same document as previously posted?

Ah yes - so it is. Sorry about that.

Good stuff though, isn't it?

rgds Jim