Customer satisfaction is the most important asset to any organisation. It helps businesses stay connected with clients, foster long-term relationships and improve the quality of the services delivered. Gathering this information can pave a pathway for future decisions on existing products and services, creating a true customer orientated business. However, conducting these surveys can be costly, time-consuming and difficult to manage – this is where outsourcing might come in handy!
Here we unpack the most successful types of market research, how it works, the types of client satisfaction surveys and their importance.
Why is the market-orientation
approach winning the race?
Market orientation, as opposed to product orientation, adopts an outward looking approach. It bases product decisions on consumer demand, as established by market research. Market research and analysis is required to understand present and future consumer demand. In simple terms, the consumer is put first, and the business produces what the client wants.
So why are competitors shifting to market orientation?
- If client needs are met with well-researched products, they are likely to survive longer and make higher profits than those following a product-led approach.
- Ongoing feedback via client satisfaction surveys ensures that the product or service stays up to date with changing tastes and preferences.
- The chances of a newly developed product failing reduces (although not eliminated) if client satisfaction surveys and other market research is conducted.
These are enticing arguments for businesses to use the market-oriented approach – especially where the cost of developing new products and services is high. Imagine investing significant funds into the development of a new car model, only to find out that the target market would rather another design. If market research had been conducted, the business could have mitigated their loss and invested resources into designing a model demanded by consumers.
It’s simple – listening to your clients will achieve better long-term outcomes for you and your business!
Let’s unveil the inner workings of client satisfaction surveys
Outsourcing your customer satisfaction surveys might seem risky at first. At the end of the day, you’re trusting a third party to communicate with your clients about their experience with your company. But that’s the exact point! You are trusting an expert who has specialised knowledge and training in this area to facilitate data collection and feedback on your behalf. You might not have the time or resources to spend hours calling and listening to each customer – but with an outsourcing partner this is all done for you in a timely manner and at an affordable price!
5 Steps on how client satisfaction surveys work:
- A business support partner customises a survey that fits your business.
- The trained specialists collect the customer satisfaction surveys alone or combine it with other aspects of an outbound or telemarketing service.
- You can opt to have the calls recorded to further assist in the quality of feedback collected.
- Once the responses have been collected, a report is generated to assist in the analysis of the data. This might include case studies and aggregate analysis.
- These reports will show you exactly what your customers have said about your business so you can effectively respond and improve!
Choosing the best type of survey for you?
Surveys are a detailed study of a market to gather data on attitudes, opinions, feedback and satisfaction levels of products or businesses. Before the surveys are conducted, the team customises questions and codes responses. The general information captured often includes:
- Customer satisfaction with a service or product you provide.
- Customer satisfaction in relation to your staff members or franchisee.
- Follow-up contact after a service request has been made.
There are various medians used to collect the information. Some common examples include:
- Outbound calls to clients asking their experience with your business, product or service
- Email campaigns containing client satisfaction surveys
- Webform surveys
Why are client satisfaction surveys important?
I think we can all agree that the provision of excellent customer service is the lifeline of any business. By conducting client satisfaction surveys, you can use the feedback to improve your current processes and discern what makes your customers happy. By investing time to understand your customers thoughts and feedback, you can bolster your client’s confidence in your business. The information collated can also be used to make decisions about new products, services or business ventures. Client satisfaction surveys show an ongoing commitment to your customers that you are dedicated to serving their needs.
Successful business owners are well and truly aware that it’s more expensive to attract new customers than it is to retain existing ones. It makes sense to retain existing customers and build a loyal relationship with them so that they continue to purchase from you. They may even become an advocate of your brand to their friends and family. The information gathered via the client satisfaction surveys provides you with an insight into what your customers love about your business and what they hope to see changed or improved.
What’s the main takeaway?
Without client feedback and input, it is difficult to sell a successful product or service. Apple’s mission to lead the industry in innovative products paid off when it introduced the iPhone. Extensive research was conducted to identify gaps in the market. It was the first device to have a touchscreen. The iPhone was well planned, and it met all its marketing objectives.
Market conditions and consumer preferences are constantly changing. Gaining access to these changes via client satisfaction surveys is essential for ongoing improvement and success.
Start gathering customer feedback today with TMC’s Client Satisfaction Surveys!