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Question:I’m looking for a low-cost way to sample my
customer service. What would you suggest?
Answer: By far the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way I know
to sample customer service is to insert a prepaid customer survey card in every
outbound package.Prepaid means that
you only pay the USPS when customers actually mail back the survey card (card
rates can run as low as 21.9 cents with bulk discounts). Since the card is a
self-mailer, it doesn’t require a stamp or an envelope. Another advantage:The survey can be changed quickly without
huge expense.
Several of our clients have used prepaid survey cards over
the years.They get anywhere from 10%
to 22% returned.Some businesses ask
“What new products or services should we offer?” and have gotten a flow of good
product ideas.
Prepaid cards, however, won't give you statistically based
answers but they do provide a gauge of customer service. The customers who
return the prepaid surveys are probably at the extremes—those whose orders you
really messed up, or your most enthusiastic customers.
You must apply for a permit and pay the associated fees to
qualify to use prepaid customer service or business reply mail. The general
USPS rates and regulations for business reply mail and an overview of card
specifications are at the following link: http://pe.usps.gov/text/qsg300/Q507a.htm.
If a customer gave you just one minute of her time, what
would you ask about your service? Here are some suggestions:
How
was our phone service (friendly, knowledgeable, efficient)?
If you
used our Website, did you find what you were looking for?
How
well did we fill your order (delivery time as promised, in good
condition)?
What
additional products or services are you looking for?
Will
you shop with us again?Yes or no.
Make the card design simple so customers can quickly mark
answer boxes (for example, provide very good, acceptable, and poor as response
choices).Include a blank line so
customers can write in comments—this eliminates the need to make the survey too
involved with too many answer choices.
For management, summarize the responses from these cards
monthly: for employee feedback, post them in the contact center and the
fulfillment center.
Other dos and don’ts
for survey postcards:
Do
thank customers for their orders.Ask them to take a minute and tell you how well you served them.
Do
keep it easy when a customer first scans the card, is it simple enough
that she can answer in one minute.
Don’t
poke into privacy questions, as some “customer surveys” masked as warranty
cards do (asking for income, demographics, etc.).Customers probably aren’t going to tell
you anyway.
Do ask
for a customer’s name, phone number, and e-mail address so if follow-up is
warranted you can contact her.
Don't forget to thank customers for their time.
Curt Barry is president of F. Curtis Barry &
Co., a Richmond, VA-based based consultancy specializing in contact center and
order fulfillment strategies, e-commerce platform and order management systems
selection and implementation.
