Surveys could be the most underrated tool in the customer engagement arsenal. Are you maximizing the usefulness of surveys?
Nearly every company surveys in some way — from automated, post-purchase emails and annual feedback surveys, to cash register receipt requests and wait staff saying, “How was everything?”
But many companies only survey customers via one channel, look at the data and maybe make some changes based on it. Instead, they’re missing lots of opportunities to engage with customers, according to Constant Contact Regional Development Director Ellen Williams.
Here are seven ways to use surveys to engage with and learn from customers — and then improve their experiences:
1. Get a quick pulse
Many organizations ask the same five questions at the same time every month, quarter or year and compare results to the time they surveyed customers. But asking one short question as often as every week can help you identify a new need, find out if a potential service would work or see if customers really need another hour of available chat.
Example: A one-question survey in social media or on your website creates a fast, easy way to engage with customers more often.
2. Make it your content
The next time you have content block — nothing comes to mind to post on your social media site — put up a few poll questions.
Even better: Ask customers what kind of information they want to see on your social pages. It engages them now and helps build good content for the future.
3. Ask them to rate
If you’re like a lot of companies these days, you’ve created a blog where anyone from front-line employees to the CEO takes a hand at giving customers great new information. Use email or your Facebook page to find out what interests customers most. Put four or five topics or actual headlines in a survey and ask customers to rate them based on what they’d be most likely to read.
4. Create a competition
People love a competition. For example, Forbes runs a corporate buzzword bracket every year. It has nothing to do with college basketball or finances. But people interact with it because they know (and hate) buzzwords and want to see a competition.
You might put your products up against each other, asking people to vote on “The Flavor of The Month” — or ask customers to vote for their favorite customer service or sales rep.
5. Let customers do the segmenting
Not all customers are created equal, and the marketing and sales gurus in your organization probably work at segmenting them so they can send the right message and call action to the right customer set.
Try a survey to let customers put themselves in the right segment. How? Add a poll to an email newsletter, asking customers what they identify themselves with most — perhaps a certain product, industry, type of buyer, etc.
6. Make every order count
You likely interact with customers shortly after they make an order with some sort of confirmation. Use that email, phone call or text message to re-engage them. Ask them to take a quick survey to find out what they thought of the sales and purchase process — and how you can improve it to make them repeat buyers.
7. Lighten up
Not every poll or survey has to be all business. In fact, if you throw in fun ones periodically, it’ll keep customers interested and wanting to be a part of what comes next.
For example, start a conversation on social media with something fun, such as, “What’s your favorite summertime ice cream flavor?” or “Beach or mountain vacation?” or “What’s the best book you’ve read recently?”
