One question will lead to more business. It will make your customers happier and motivate your employees.
“How was your service?”
Boom.
Survey Your Customers to Improve Your Business
Many business owners don’t see the value of surveying their customers after work is done. They don’t want to bother their clients. Or, they just don’t want to know what they think!
Meet Martha Woodward, owner of Dusting Divas maid service. Making a follow-up survey part of every job she does has transformed her business.
“Surveying my clients has made a world of difference. We learn about issues and correct them. The staff are more accountable for their work,” Woodward says. “All this has led to a business where everyone is accountable for the quality of their work. The business practically runs itself.”
Woodward is so convinced of the value of routine surveys, that she created a system just for service businesses. Quality Driven Software is an easy-to-use customer feedback system. It’s so simple for customers that the typical response rate is around 35%. That’s much higher than most surveys.
Elements of a Successful Approach
Surveys need to be brief. One simple question is best, “How was your service?” You can make the question more specific like, “How was your mowing service?” or “How was your repair service?”
The survey should have simple response options like great/not so great or thumbs up/thumbs down, followed by an optional comments area and/or a page that allows people to give more specific ratings of the elements of the service provided.
That feedback is gold for your business!
- You can correct any issues in a timely way
- You can respond before your customer takes their complaint to social media
- You can add notes to the client record so the next job goes better
- Your team learns what matters to clients and can up their game
Woodward suggests that surveys are used to follow up on every job completed. That eliminates the assumption that a satisfied customer will stay satisfied forever. The response will let you know that something is slipping before that customer goes elsewhere.
Surveys Lead to Higher Satisfaction
Customers who get surveyed about each job generally have higher satisfaction. They know you care enough to get the work done right, every time.
Woodward’s maid service has a 98% satisfaction rating today. Before she started the routine surveys, the negative comments were almost overwhelming. She didn’t even want to answer the phone.
“We let clients know that the survey is the easiest way for us to improve their service. It’s quick and easy. They don’t even have to pick up the phone,” says Woodward.
Today, she enjoys answering the phone. Her customers regularly praise her team’s communication and their work.
Empowering Your Team
Surveys also help your team. They get feedback for every job. They can see what they need to do to make people happier with their work.
Customer feedback can also show you where more training might be needed. You may find weaknesses in your onboarding process that can help jobs go better.
You can also incentivize the results. Woodward says some businesses use the data to recognize top performing employees at meetings and other team events. Others use the rankings to qualify staff for drawings or prizes. Some use it to guide their bonus system.
“The survey results make everyone accountable for their work. It’s not about shaming, it’s about recognizing great work,” Woodward says. “It shows everyone what’s needed to be successful.”