In any given week, we receive around 15-20 requests to take part in online surveys. Many of those are DIY surveys often put together by someone whose been charged with the task of undertaking a customer survey or online research.
Now we could be all protective and keep our cards close to our chest…. but what’s the point of that? So here is a golden rule we believe anyone thinking about putting together a survey in the online environment should heed.
Listening?
Never…… ever… ever, ever, ever…. ask this question or a variation of it….
“Are you a customer of XYZ?”
Now in research circles it’s a pretty accepted convention to ask such questions. After all, it’s important to filter results based on a current customer and a lapsed one. We agree with that.
Look at it a different way though. What message does that give to an ex customer? They aren’t using your products or services anymore and they probably wonder why a survey is being sent to them. They may think you aren’t aware they have left you and it suggests your databases aren’t up to date at best.
Now the current customers. Our belief … if you are spending money with a company is that they should know you’re a customer. A feeling of resentment created right at the outset of a survey.
In the last 6 months alone we’ve seen the AA, Nectar (the loyalty card company) and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce all start online surveys with that approach. It’s not very impressive is it?
There are ways to make a much better impression.
Make sure your database is accurate before you run a survey. Run separate surveys for lapsed customers and current ones. And if you want to just run one survey, you can attach a piece of code in the survey invite that can differentiate a field…. such as customer or none customer.
So please…. if you’re going to send a customer survey, don’t start it by alienating the person you’ve convinced to click on the link. At best it may cost you a survey response, at worst you may just convince a previously loyal customer that you don’t care about them.
