Customers satisfaction analysis – the ISO 9001 Standard requirements (Part 2) – Methods in measuring and analyzing customer satisfaction
According to the ISO standard, you must define what is important to examine and how you will perform it. The definition can come as a form, procedure or even just a document stating that the organization is “a caring organization.” It doesn’t matter how: it’s just important that there is a definition. The methods we know are:
- Evaluation talks with customers
- Satisfaction evaluation questionnaire
- Focus groups
- Evaluation talks with the customer
An evaluation talk is recommended for organizations with a narrow customer base. This is for a number of reasons. In case the management wants to conduct a statistical analysis, a narrow band of customers won’t provide enough statistical data to generate useful results. There is a marketing advantage when you initialize a conversation with your customer and the customer in turn appreciates the effort. The conversation doesn’t have to be via telephone: it’s actually recommended to perform it in person. This is because the chances are that if the customer has any complaints, they can be solved during the conversation. And, importantly, don’t forget to document the conversation.
Customer satisfaction evaluation questionnaire
The Satisfaction evaluation questionnaire is highly recommended. It is suitable for organizations with a large customer base band defined as over 50 customers. In this case, enough data is provided to generate meaningful statistical analysis and therefore get a clear picture about your customer’s satisfaction. Earlier, we defined the sub processes that combine the main process of dealing with the customer. Therefore, we divide our questionnaire in relation with our sub processes:
Sale process:
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 the level of professionalism of the salesperson person during your meeting
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 the politeness and courtesy of the salesperson while visiting our premises.
Another option is to ask YES/NO questions:
- Was the sales person professional while attending you? YES/NO
- Was the sales person polite while attending you? YES/NO
Delivery process:
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 the politeness and courtesy of the delivery person when the product was delivered
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 your satisfaction with the time it took for the product to be delivered
YES/NO questions:
- Did delivery person behave properly when visiting your location YES/NO
- Was the delivery person polite when visiting your location YES/NO
Billing process:
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 your satisfaction from the service provided by the collections department
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 how quickly the employees responded to your problem
- Please rank on a scale from 1 to 5 the solutions handed to you by the employees of the collections department.
YES/NO questions:
- Was the debit according to your order YES/NO
- The employee was polite during your application YES/NO
- The solution provided was satisfactory YES/NO
In any case, I recommend leaving a blank space for the customer to write in his or her own words. This has a significant value because the customer feels that someone is listening. The process is complex, no doubt about it. Defining the right form according to the ISO 9001 requirements is not an easy task. Therefore you might want to consult the the expert. Qualitymanualtemplates.com. They deliver an impressive forms package that includes customer survey form. Try them: Qualitymanualtemplates.com
Measuring customer satisfaction with focus groups
Conducting a focus group is the most complex of all three options. It requires many resources: both financial and human resources. It is usually performed by companies specialized in these types of services. These companies have the required knowledge to conduct focus groups in an effective and efficient manner. In a focus group, we gather a few people (not more than ten) for a discussion during which they are encouraged to “spill” as many ideas and inputs about certain subjects. In order to entice them to participate, they are provided with a reward of some kind. Your goal is to collect as much information as you can.
First, you need to define what information you are seeking. Second, you have to choose a method to encourage the people to talk and “spill their guts.” The discussion led by the organization’s representative whose role is to direct the participants and keeps them on track. As before, it’s important to cover the same subjects as in the other survey options.
- Satisfaction from the product/service: the group discuses and shares with the representative what they like or don’t like in the product/service
- Satisfaction from the competition: the crowd discuses and shares with the representative what they like or don’t like in your competitor’s product/service.
- New ideas: the narrator asks the group what else they would like to see or have in your product/service.
After the meeting, you need to gather all what was said and analyze it. How to do this? Good question. You can record the focus group or even film the entire meeting. After that, you will need to transcript what was said during the discussion. The output of the process is a summary report which gives you the ability to make decisions. This option is amazing: it is powerful and effective. I participated in some focus groups and was amazed of how much information they generated. However, they certainly cost a lot!
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