Survey Types

Event-based Surveys

Event-based surveys are conducted in follow-up to a recent customer experience.
When your customers have multiple events in a short time period, it is important to avoid interviewing the same individual too frequently.
Interviewing a representative sample of your recent customers on an ongoing basis is the solution.
This approach is ideal for:
Customer Service
Technical Support
On-site Service
Parts Ordering
Repair or Exchange
Product installation
User Group Meeting or Trade Show
Training


Project or Phased Surveys

Project and phased surveys are administered at predetermined milestones in a project or at certain points in a continuing customer relationship.
The same persons may be interviewed at each stage, or there may be several interviewees.
Long-term projects may have multiple milestones during the execution.
Phased surveys often include questionnaires for:
Pre-sale/Sales
Design/Engineering
Execution/Installation
Handover/Start-up
Warranty
Product Quality
When there is an ongoing project, in addition to work quality, timeliness, technical skill, and adherence to regulations and agreements, there is strong focus on the relationship that builds between provider and customer.
Topics that these surveys cover include responsiveness, understanding of needs, management of suppliers and field personnel, openness and honesty, and handling of ad hoc issues, as well as willingness to recommend.

Corporate Image Surveys

Wise management will include a corporate image survey at appropriate intervals to provide the “bigger picture” of the business – to evaluate what it is, what it does and what it is aspiring to become.
These surveys are done less often than event-based surveys – usually no more frequently than annually — and may seek input from several quarters including customers, competitors, managers and other employees and the general public.
Corporate image surveys address:
Awareness and perception of the organization, providing a baseline or a reality check
Reaction by customers, employees and competitors to a recent innovation, acquisition,event or campaign
Opinion of the company in response to advertising and/or coverage by the media
Standing and reputation of the organization in the global marketplace
Level of recognition of the company name and brands
Company values, strengths and weaknesses as perceived by customers, employees and the market in general
Client expectations and concerns Results from corporate image surveys provide anespecially valuable tool for sales, advertising, marketing and communications purposes.


Lost Sales Surveys

Discovering the reasons behind an unsuccessful sales experience requires objectivity.
An interview of the prospective customer by a third party will provide candid responses.
Questions cover the sales process including communication, proposal, the customer’s evaluation of it, the ease of doing business, the competitive advantage of the selected provider, and the potential for future business.
The lost sales survey serves as a subtle message of goodwill and often discovers there is still opportunity for a sale where none was thought to exist. Characteristics of a lost sales survey are:
Brevity – few questions
Many opportunities for verbatim responses
Comparison with your competition
Consideration for future business
Suggestions for improvement
The lost sales survey can help illumine the sales process inputs and their outcome.
It gives the customer perspective and points up necessary improvements that avoid repeating an ineffective approach or communication.
A lost sales survey may uncover future selling opportunities and keeps your company in the mind of the prospective customer.