Your product (or service) revolves around your customers and their experiences. Do you notice their satisfaction or dissatisfaction? How do you find out what they want most? Learn 5 key questions that can’t be missing from your satisfaction surveys.
Listen to your customers, they know what they want
A great customer service experience is a hot topic of conversation in my job. And not because our work lives are so boring or because we find thinking about customer service exciting.
It’s because a truly exceptional customer service experience is so unusual that, when it happens, you can hardly believe it.
And when you experience one of this kind, you know well that you will remember it for days to come. And also that you will share that experience with friends, family and colleagues.
If you’ve had a business for any length of time, you probably already know that the benefits of providing excellent customer service go far beyond people telling and explaining their personal stories with a business.
A 2019 Forbes statistics summary found that 84% of companies that focus on improving the customer experience report an increase in revenue. The data speaks for itself.
As we said, our products or services always revolve around customers and their experiences. Your opinions and perceptions are the foundation of our success.
But how do we measure satisfaction or dissatisfaction in relation to the products or services we offer? How can we decide to work on a new business aspect if we don’t know what our customers need or don’t need?
This is where customer satisfaction surveys come into play, as their results allow you to know exactly how customers feel, or in other words, how satisfied they are in relation to a proposal.
Customer Satisfaction Surveys: Why Are They So Important?
Many organizations are aware that customer satisfaction is truly the most important asset they have.
It’s not for nothing that there’s a phrase that has undoubtedly gained a lot of “ground” in recent years (and that will surely be familiar to you):
“ Customer service is the new marketing “
However, regularly collecting consumer feedback and feedback is not always considered a priority within a business. Sometimes simply because no one in the organization knows how to do it properly.
Not just any business can grow from dominating its own market – not everyone understands the value of receiving honest feedback when developing the experience .
Customers have more and more options for communication methods at their fingertips, so today there are no more excuses for a company not to understand exactly what its consumers want or expect.
Satisfied customers are more likely to buy again and recommend that brand to their trusted circles. There are those who argue with extreme accuracy that a loyal customer is worth up to 10 times more than the value of their first purchase.
Be that as it may, the reality is that Zendesk’s 2023 CX Trends Report revealed that 70% of consumers spend more on companies that deliver seamless, personalized, and seamless customer experiences.
Collecting customer feedback on your products and services will provide you with information to make future decisions, resulting in a business with a true customer-centric culture .
What is a Product Satisfaction Survey?
Simply put, a product survey is a powerful way to find out what your customers think and feel about the products or services you offer.
Running surveys before launching a new product, for example, means being able to understand what people expect from your brand, and with that valuable information then generate a unique sales proposition , tailored to your consumers.
Product research reduces the risk of developing useless or unwanted features/aspects, and therefore, losing money.
You can also use surveys about existing products, to understand how users enjoy (or don’t) the experience you offer them.
Customer satisfaction surveys are essential because they allow us to verify whether our belief that we are providing the best customer service or the best product truly fits reality.
Maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction is a successful way to retain customers and stimulate customer loyalty.
At the same time, using product satisfaction surveys allows you to respond quickly to negative experiences, which when worked out leads to a new opportunity to buy your utilities.
5 Sample Questions for Product Satisfaction Surveys
How well does our product meet your needs?
This broad product question is specific enough to provide practical results.
Simple: if your product or service doesn’t meet the needs of users from the start, they are more likely not to return to your business.
Tip: Looking to turn feedback into profits for your business , this type of question is usually used initially, usually as a first instance of approaching the understanding of the general perception of the customer.
Which of the following expressions would you use to describe our product?
- Impractical
- Good value for money
- Too expensive
- Poor quality
- Excellent quality
- Reliable
- Unreliable
- Ineffective
- Unique
- Useful
- Faulty
Why should you care how people would describe your product?
The answer is as logical as it is categorical: it’s not the same thing for your product to be described as “defective” rather than “reliable”.
If you don’t want to give any answer suggestions, you can use the open-ended variant of this type of customer survey question. In that case, you’d ask, “How would you describe our product?”
The answers will show how well you communicate your value proposition and product vision to users.
Which 3 features are the most valuable to you?
- Feature A (Example: Volume or Size)
- Feature B (Example: Price)
- Feature C (Example: Functionality)
This question is vital for service companies. Their products tend to offer dozens of features, and most customers use only a handful of them.
Researching which ones are the most important and valuable to users will help you understand how your customers interact with your business, and fundamentally what they really need and expect from your products.
Hint: Don’t be surprised when people say that the most important thing to them are the features that you consider somehow “secondary.” On the contrary, it’s the key for you to go deeper in that direction.
What are the 3 most important features we’re missing?
- Feature A (Example: Volume or Size)
- Feature B (Example: Price)
- Feature C (Example: Functionality)
Promising exactly what your consumers need will undoubtedly help improve customer retention . If the product doesn’t offer everything your customers need, sooner or later they will find another supplier.
There is one irrefutable thing: if you offer a certain feature, and then your products or services do not deliver what they promised, don’t be surprised to start receiving negative reviews.
You may have worked on a sales proposal for many years, but if you don’t keep your word, you’ve been warned: reputation is lost in an instant…
If you could change just one thing about our product, what would it be?
This type of question can also be thought of as a variable to the question developed above “Which 3 characteristics are the most valuable to you?”.
But this time you’d be asking about a certain aspect, i.e. a single change that your customers would like to see introduced into your product.
It’s about addressing the most important and central missing aspect from the consumer’s point of view. Nor should you assume that your product or service is missing something or that you have made a mistake.
The important thing to consider is that your customers may have very specific needs regarding the products you already offer, and in that case this question (and its answer) will obtain valuable information to think about possible upgrades.
Again, the main goal here is to improve customer retention. Take into consideration all the suggestions your customers make to you.
Act on any comments or opinions you receive, no matter how negative, because not doing so is a mistake that can cost you too dearly.
Gain insights that enable continuous improvement
Global Metrics allows you to collect valuable information for your business using in-store customer satisfaction surveys.
In addition to working with real-time metrics, you can also count on alarm systems to learn about negative experiences.
This allows you to quickly and effectively serve disgruntled prospects, which can be the difference between losing them or building loyalty.
If you need more information on how to get direct, regular and real-time feedback, click here.
Asking the right question is the only way to investigate customer satisfaction. Boost your brand’s reputation by using satisfaction surveys.
