How Contractors Can Implement Customer Satisfaction Survey Feedback

When you take it back to basics, your business is all about the customer.

How well you serve your customer—whether through their experience with your team or the quality of your work—can make or break your success.

But you’re not a mind reader—at least we’re not—so you can’t make assumptions about what the customer wants or needs. You need to collect feedback directly from your customers. And preferably right after they work with your business.

Here lies the value of a customer satisfaction survey.

This article is the contractor’s quick guide to customer satisfaction surveys. You’ll learn what they are and how they work. You’ll get details on creating a survey that adds value to your decision-making. Plus, some practical ideas for using the feedback collected to make real, lasting change.

Finally, we’ll finish with quick tips to help you integrate customer satisfaction surveys into your business today.

What Is a Customer Satisfaction Survey?

A customer satisfaction survey is a tool for measuring customer experience. It could ask customers to rate your services, brand, support, products, etc. Most surveys also include space for written comments.

Let’s take a closer look at the fundamentals.

How Does a Customer Satisfaction Survey Work?

When you complete a project, you send a survey to your customer. This can be done through a link in an email, for example.

The survey includes questions about different parts of the service you provided.

What Is a Customer Satisfaction Survey Used For?

A customer satisfaction survey aims to collect honest feedback from your clients. This feedback helps you understand:

• What customers want: Learn exactly what your customers want from your services.
• Where performance gaps exist: Identify areas where your services could be better.
• How to improve: Find out what changes will make the most significant impact on customer happiness.

Using customer satisfaction surveys regularly also contributes to a culture of continuous improvement. This means always looking for ways to do better.

When you focus on continuous improvement, you show your commitment to quality and making your customers happy.

Improving customer experience can lead to the following:

• A 15-20% increase in sales conversion rates
• A 20-50% reduction in service costs
• A 10-20% improvement in customer satisfaction

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: 3 Tips for a Useful Customer Survey

Designing an Effective Customer Satisfaction Survey

You want to get the most value out of customer feedback. To do this, you need a well-designed customer satisfaction survey.

Here’s how you can create one:

Step 1: Set KPIs

First, choose key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are specific metrics used to measure the success of your business activities.

Starting with KPIs ensures that every question in the survey has a purpose. It aligns your survey with your business goals, making the feedback you receive helpful.

Example KPIs include:

• Customer retention rate
• On-time project completion rate
• Customer referral rate
• Post-service call rate
• Overall customer satisfaction score

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Step 2: Ask the Right Questions

Not all questions are created equally. Some will elicit a one-word response. Others will inspire detailed, actionable feedback.

In short, how you frame your questions can change the quality of insights you get.

Here are some best practices to follow:

• Be clear and concise: Questions should be straightforward to understand.
• Be specific: Ask about particular aspects of the project or service. Don’t be too broad.
• Avoid leading questions: Questions should not suggest a specific response.

Here’s an example of how these best practices can impact responses:

• Before: Do you think we did a good job?
• After: On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied were you with the completion time of your project?

Finally, ensure each question helps you learn something relevant about your KPIs. For example, if your KPI is to deliver on-time project completion, then ask about the timeliness of service delivery.

Here are some possible questions to get you thinking:

• How likely are you to recommend our services to others?
• How well did our team communicate with you during the project?
• On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied were you with the cleanliness and organization during the project?
• Did the final result meet your expectations?

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: Are Your Customers Really Happy? Here Are 4 Simple Ways to Measure Customer Happiness

Step 3: Choose the Best Delivery Method

Choosing the right method to deliver your survey is as important as the questions you ask.

Why? Because the delivery method can affect how and when you receive feedback. It influences the response rate and the quality of responses you get.

Your options include:

• Online surveys: These are delivered by email or a link on your website. They are great for tech-savvy customers.
• Phone surveys: These are more personal and can lead to deeper insights.
• Paper surveys: This works for on-site feedback right after service completion.

Consider your customer demographics and past survey performances when deciding on a method. Ask yourself:

• Where are my customers most active?
• Which method has resulted in higher response rates before?
• What is the most convenient way for my customers to respond?

How Contractors Can Implement Customer Satisfaction Survey Feedback

Think of customer feedback as the blueprint for your business’s success. Just like you wouldn’t ignore a blueprint when building a home, you shouldn’t overlook customer feedback when building your business.

Using the insights from customer satisfaction surveys can boost your service quality and lift client satisfaction.

Here are four ways to do it:

1. Prioritize Feedback

Prioritizing feedback means identifying the most critical issues that affect customer satisfaction.

Some issues will have a more significant impact on your business than others. For instance, if multiple customers complain about the same problem, it shows a pattern that needs immediate attention.

Take action: Create a list of common feedback themes. Rank them based on frequency and impact. Tackle the top issues first.

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2. Develop Action Plans

An action plan is a step-by-step strategy to address feedback. It outlines what needs to be done, who is responsible, and the timeline for completion.

Action plans turn feedback into manageable tasks. They ensure that feedback is not ignored and that changes are systematically implemented.

Take action: Draft a specific action plan for each major piece of feedback. Assign clear roles and deadlines.

For example, if customers express concern about project timelines, assign a team to review scheduling processes. Ensure you set a deadline for the proposed improvements.

3. Train Your Team

Feedback might highlight areas where your team can improve, such as customer service or technical skills. Training helps your team meet these expectations.

Take action: Organize regular training sessions based on the trends you see in customer feedback.

4. Track and Evaluate

Track the effectiveness of the changes you’ve made. Assess whether they have positively affected customer satisfaction.

Without monitoring, you won’t know if your changes are working. Evaluation allows you to see if your actions have resolved issues or if they need further adjustment.

Take action: Use follow-up surveys to gauge whether changes have worked. Compare satisfaction levels before and after to measure success.

How You Can Start Implementing Customer Feedback Right Now

Here’s how you can start using insights from your customer satisfaction surveys today:

• Identify key areas of your feedback. Focus on specific areas such as customer service, project timelines, or the quality of your work. That way, you can make targeted changes.
• Brainstorm with your team. Discuss the feedback with your team. This gets everyone involved and helps generate improvement ideas.
• Set clear objectives. Based on the feedback, set realistic goals for areas that need work.
• Follow up with customers. After you make changes, check back with your customers to see if they notice the improvements. Send a simple follow-up email. This shows you care about their opinions.