As with any technology solution, matching the features of a customer survey solution with your client’s specific needs will result in the best outcome. What you may not realize is that there are numerous solutions available, many offering various feature sets designed for different ways of conducting customer surveys.
Customer Survey Software Features to Consider
1Question Types
A customer survey solution should give your client the ability to use the question types that will help them collect the data they need most efficiently and accurately. The best question type may be multiple choice with single or multiple responses, a rating scale, yes or no questions, or an open-ended response. Make sure your client has the options they need.
2Question Library
Some solutions provide a library of standard questions, such as “On a scale from 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the service you received during this visit?” or “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?” The solution should also give your clients the ability to save the questions they create to reuse in the future.
3Language
Your client may need to offer the survey in multiple languages. Ensure the solution can accomplish this in a way that doesn’t discourage participation.
4Images
A helpful customer survey feature is the ability to use images, either in the background for branding or within the questions to allow customers to click on images (stars, emojis, etc.) to give their answers. Images can help your client increase engagement and improve the customer’s experience.
5Question Routing
It’s time-consuming — and often not necessary — for the customer to scroll through every question and mark “not applicable.” Customer survey software that enables conditional survey formatting can keep surveys as brief as possible for respondents. For example, if the customer answers that they received excellent, five-star service, they can skip the question that asks, “Why weren’t you satisfied with your service today?”
6Easy Setup
Whether your client wants to ask a simple one- or two-question survey on a customer-facing screen at the checkout, a gamified survey on a tabletop kiosk, or a lengthier survey online, it’s important for them to be able to format it precisely. Errors in survey formatting can result in useless data and wasted resources. Look for customer survey software that has templates, drag-and-drop functionality, or other ways of making accurate setup easier.
7Analytics and Reporting
The real value of customer surveys comes from analyzing and using the data. Evaluate the analytics and reporting features of customer survey software to make sure your client will receive valuable insights. Also, make sure the clients will receive them at the right time — real-time alerts triggered by responses from “at risk” customers can give a manager the opportunity to intervene immediately. Time and date data recorded with survey responses can allow managers to monitor team performance over time. The software you choose may also enable you to format reports so the most vital information is front and center.
8Integration
A particularly useful customer survey software feature is integrated with your client’s point of sale, e-commerce, or management application. Integration eliminates the need to switch in and out of programs to set up surveys, conduct them, and pull reports. This efficiency can make the solution easier for your clients to use and help them get the most out of their investment.
The Survey Says…
Your clients will rely on you to help them select the customer survey solution that’s the best fit for their business and that results in the quickest ROI. With so many solutions that your client can use to conduct a survey, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with all of the options available, which are best suited to your client’s type of business, and which have the features your clients need. A good match will allow your client to collect valuable data about their customers that they can use to improve customer experiences can gain a competitive edge.
