Customer survey – a complete guide for small businesses and marketing managers

The importance of listening to customers

Your customer deserves to be listened to. Every customer wants to be seen, taken seriously and have their needs noticed. By actively listening to customers and taking in their feedback, you can understand how your company is really perceived in the market. The result is that you can develop and improve your offer – for more satisfied customers and a stronger business. A well-run customer survey creates engagement, leads to loyal customers and gives valuable insights that can increase profitability and reduce churn. In fact, as many as 86% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for a really good customer experience. In addition, 77% of customers get a more positive view of companies that actively seek feedback from them. In other words: listening to your customers is not just nice – it is business-critical.

Why run a customer survey?

Are your customers satisfied or dissatisfied? If you do not already know, it is high time to find out. Customers can give you unique insight into what you do well and what can be improved. Through a customer survey (also called a customer questionnaire or customer satisfaction survey), you find out how your products or services are experienced by the people who actually use them. The goal is to measure customer satisfaction and find concrete areas for improvement. Over time, regular customer surveys can also give you a statistical basis for following trends in customer satisfaction. You can compare results year by year and see whether your measures actually make customers more satisfied.

For small business owners and marketing managers, customer feedback is extra valuable. Unfortunately, many small businesses never send out customer surveys – in one study, 62% of the small business owners asked said they never ask for their customers' views. But the companies that regularly collect customer feedback tend to have a more positive view of their business. In an American study, the small business owners who sent customer surveys daily were considerably more optimistic about the future; 49% of them considered the business climate "good" (compared with 38% on average), and 73% expected increased revenue within a year (compared with 55% on average). It also turned out that 83% of the most successful small businesses measured customer satisfaction, compared with only 65% among the others. Running customer surveys is thus connected with success – it helps you understand the customer and make better decisions.

Planning the survey – purpose and goals

A customer survey requires thought and planning. Before you start, it is important to clarify the purpose: What is it you really want to find out about your customers? Define clear goals for the survey. Perhaps you want to measure general customer satisfaction, get feedback on a new product, or understand why some customers have stopped buying. Write down the questions you want the survey to answer. Also make sure to focus on what you need to know – not just things that would be "nice to hear". By being honest with yourself about which information actually moves the company forward, you avoid wasting the customer's time on unimportant questions.

Think about the target audience for your customer survey. Is it all customers, or a particular segment (for example loyal regulars, new customers, or those who recently ended their customer relationship)? Different groups can give different insights, so sometimes it can be wise to segment and adapt the questions to the recipient. For example, you might want to ask a specific question about a new service only of the customers who have tried it. Be clear about why you are asking the questions – both for your own planning and when you communicate with the customer. If customers understand the purpose of the survey, the chance increases that they take the time to answer.

Finally, decide how you will run the survey. There is no shortage of tools for creating surveys – there are many effective online survey tools. Choose a tool that suits your budget and level of expertise. Also prepare how you will distribute the survey: most common is by email with a clear call to answer (according to Statista, email is the most popular channel for sending NPS surveys), but it can also be done through your website, social media or mailings together with customers' purchases. The important thing is to reach customers where they can easily take part.

Ready-made questions to copy are among our survey templates. If you want to calculate a satisfaction measure that can be compared from year to year, we show how in the guide to CSI surveys.

Ask the right questions in the right way

When the purpose is clear, it is time to phrase the questions carefully. The questions should be asked from the customer's perspective and in language that is simple, direct and easy to understand. Avoid internal jargon or complicated phrasing. Also think about the question type – what answers do you want to get? A combination of open questions (where the customer can write their own comment) and closed questions (e.g. yes/no, multiple choice or a rating scale) is often effective. Open questions give nuanced qualitative feedback, while closed questions are easier to compile into statistics. One of the most common questions in customer satisfaction surveys is the Net Promoter Score (NPS) question: "How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?" on a scale of 0–10. It is popular because it is simple and short, but do not settle for an NPS question alone – combine it with follow-up questions about why the customer gave that particular score, to get the nuance behind the number.

Limit the number of questions. It can be tempting to ask about "everything", but remember that a shorter customer survey almost always gives a higher response rate. A rule of thumb is to have no more than 10–15 questions in a survey. Pick out the questions that really matter for the purpose. Only ask about things you do not already know and that you are also able to act on. For example, you usually do not need to ask for the customer's contact details or purchase history if you already have that information in your systems – such questions take unnecessary time and can irritate. Instead, focus on questions about the customer's experience of your offer and your collaboration. That makes the survey more relevant for the customer (it is more fun to give your opinion on the experience than to confirm what you bought) and for you who get the answers.

Also be careful about the order of the questions. Start with a simple, general question to "warm up" the customer, and save more sensitive or detailed questions for a little later in the survey. Move logically between topics – the questions should have a natural flow. If a question is only relevant for some respondents (e.g. a follow-up on a certain answer), it can be good to use logic in the survey so that unnecessary questions are skipped automatically. And do not forget to double-check that the questions are unambiguous – each question should address only one thing at a time to avoid confusion.

Finally, consider letting an outsider or an expert in surveys review your questions before you send them out. An experienced person can spot leading phrasing or ambiguities that you have missed yourself. Writing a really good and well-thought-out customer survey can be an art in itself – so it never hurts to read up properly in advance or ask someone with experience. As a summary of question design:

• Clarify the purpose of each question – only ask what is relevant to the goal of the survey.

• Keep the language simple and avoid jargon.

• Limit the number of questions and keep it short (a few important questions rather than many unnecessary ones).

• Think about the order – start easy, avoid abrupt jumps between topics, group similar questions.

• Offer balanced answer options for closed questions (e.g. an even scale from "very satisfied" to "very dissatisfied").

• Test the survey on a few people internally before going live, to see that the questions are understood correctly.

Running the survey – make it easy to answer

An example of a customer survey where the customer rates their experience.

When the questions are ready, it is time to send out your customer survey. The key here is to make it as easy as possible for the customer to answer. Start by writing a short introduction in the survey or the cover letter. Explain why you are running the survey and what the purpose is (e.g. "We would love to hear your opinion about your latest purchase, so that we can give you even better service going forward"). Also be clear about thanking the customer in advance for taking the time – it shows that you value their input.

A smart trick is to estimate the time it takes to answer the survey already in the invitation. People are short on time, so if you say "It takes about 3–4 minutes to answer the questions", the customer knows what to expect. Be honest with that estimate – few things irritate as much as promising a "five-minute survey" that then takes a quarter of an hour. Stick to the truth; if the survey is longer than usual, consider splitting it up or clearly showing progress (e.g. "you are now halfway through"). Transparency about the length of the survey makes more people complete it.

Also think about meeting the customer on the right platform. Today, more than half of all surveys are answered on a phone, so make sure your customer survey is mobile-friendly and works just as well on small screens as on a computer. Test the survey on a phone before you send it out. If your survey tool offers it, use interactive elements such as sliders or star ratings – such features can make answering a little more fun. Anything that increases ease of use increases the chance that the customer actually takes the time to give feedback.

Tips for a higher response rate

Getting many answers is crucial for the survey to have value. Here are some proven ways to increase the response rate:

• Keep it short and relevant: As mentioned above – the fewer and more relevant the questions, the more people bother to answer. A quick survey signals respect for the customer's time.

• Use reminders: If answers are slow to come in, do not be afraid to send a friendly reminder. You can often get around 30% more answers after a reminder. For example, you can send a first reminder after one week, and another after two weeks – that can more than double the response rate. Make sure to only remind those who have not already answered, and keep the tone friendly and grateful in the reminder.

• Offer a carrot: Incentives can increase interest. Consider offering something small as thanks for the help – perhaps the customer is entered into a gift card draw, gets a discount code or a token gift. Keep in mind that the incentive should not be too big either (it can be seen as "bought" answers), but a small gesture can motivate many to spend a few minutes answering.

• The right timing: Try to send the survey at a time when customers are able to answer. Avoid Friday afternoons or just before major holidays. The middle of the week and lunchtime or coffee breaks can often be good – the customer may have a moment to spare then.

• A personal sender: Send the survey from a person at your company (e.g. "Lisa at [Your Company]") instead of just the company name. A personal greeting and a friendly tone in the email can make more people open it and answer.

• Anonymity and reassurance: Many answer more honestly if they feel safe. Say whether the survey is anonymous or not. If it is not anonymous, assure customers that their feedback is treated confidentially and only used for improvements.

Remember that even small adjustments can make a big difference in the response rate. In the end, you want to lower the threshold for the customer to take part and raise the motivation to share their opinion.

Analyze the results and act on the feedback

When the survey is closed, perhaps the most important work begins: analyzing the results. Take the time to go through all the answers carefully as soon as possible after the survey has closed. Look for patterns: Which strengths do customers highlight? Which weaknesses or problems come up often in the answers? Also note whether there are differences between different customer groups (e.g. new vs loyal customers) or between different products or services. A tip is to list the biggest strengths and the most urgent areas for improvement based on the customers' feedback. You and your team can then prioritize what to address first.

The most important thing of all is to act on the insights you get from the customer survey. Feedback is only valuable if it leads to action. Create a concrete action plan for improvement: which measures will be taken, by whom and when, to solve the problems that have come up or to develop further what customers already appreciate? If many customers ask for faster support, for example, you may need to review your response times or expand the support team. If several think the product lacks a certain feature, it may become a point on the development plan. Show internally that the customers' voice should influence decisions – it strengthens a customer-focused culture within the company.

Also do not forget to get back to the customers who took part. Tell them that their opinions have been heard and, if possible, what you plan to do about it. For example, you can send a thank-you email after the survey has closed with some insights ("Many of you asked for better manual search in the app – we have now started developing a new search function based on this, thank you for your help!"). By thanking customers and showing that their feedback leads to change, you build a stronger relationship and trust. Customers feel appreciated when they see that you really listen and act. This step – closing the loop by getting back to them – is crucial for customers to want to keep giving feedback in the future.

Long-term follow-up and improvement

A single customer survey can give a snapshot, but for real benefit the work with customer feedback should be long-term and continuous. See customer surveys as an integrated part of your ongoing improvement process and customer experience. It can be wise to run larger customer satisfaction surveys perhaps once a year, complemented by shorter pulse surveys more often (e.g. after each purchase or support case) to capture fresh impressions. Be careful, though, not to overload customers with too many surveys – asking the same customer for feedback every week is not a good idea. A rule of thumb can be not to contact the same customer with surveys more than once a quarter, unless it concerns different contexts. Balance is the key: be regular but avoid nagging.

By collecting data over time, you can build up your own customer satisfaction index (sometimes called CSI, or NKI in Swedish). Follow the development of important key figures such as NPS, the average score in different areas or loyalty questions over time. How has customer satisfaction changed since last year? Since you introduced a certain improvement? Such insights are worth their weight in gold. They help you not only to see the effect of your measures, but also to spot trends early – if something in the customer experience is heading the wrong way, you can catch it and act before it becomes a big problem.

Finally, keep refining your methods. Learn from each survey. Which questions gave the most relevant answers? Did many people skip a question (perhaps it was unclear)? How was the response rate compared with last time, and can it be improved further? By constantly adjusting the setup, questions and process based on what you learn, your customer surveys become better and more accurate.

Going deeper: Get even more out of your customer survey

Involve the whole team – make feedback a shared concern

A customer survey has the greatest effect when the whole company is on board. Share the insights from the survey with the teams concerned – sales, support, development, marketing. Hold a joint meeting where you go through what customers have said and decide together: What do we do about this?

Tip in Paloma: Use the newsletter module to communicate results and measures to different internal teams or the board – professionally and easily.

 Collect feedback in more channels

A traditional survey is only one way of listening. Many customers give spontaneous feedback in other channels:

• Email or chat replies

• Reactions to newsletters

• Comments after events

• SMS replies or support cases

By collecting, documenting and analyzing these insights together with the results from surveys, you get a richer picture of the customer experience.

Tip in Paloma: Add a quick question or a link to the survey in your next newsletter. Or send an automatic SMS question after a completed event or meeting.

Automate customer surveys – integrate them with the customer journey

Instead of running large surveys once a year, you can set up small, automatic flows triggered by events in the customer journey. For example:

• After a purchase: "How was your order?"

• After a support case: "Was your problem solved?"

• After an event: "What did you think of the seminar?"

• After a few months of silence: "How can we get better for you?

Tip in Paloma: With marketing automation you can create flows that send the right question in the right channel (newsletter, SMS or email) – completely automatically, without you having to think about it.

Connect feedback to business goals

The last step is to tie the insights to concrete goals and results. Perhaps you notice that:

• Customers who give a high score are more likely to book the next event

• Those who say they are unsure about the product do not open the newsletters

• Dissatisfied customers often have poor delivery communication

Then you can put concrete measures in place: adapt the content of newsletters, create automatic flows with extra guidance, or improve information mailings via SMS.

Tip in Paloma: Combine feedback from surveys with statistics from your campaigns. You see what works – and can adjust based on actual needs.

Summary

A good customer survey requires planning, well-thought-out questions and a genuine interest in the customer's opinion. The reward is great: you get a basis for making better decisions, the opportunity to increase customer satisfaction and the chance to build long-lasting customer relationships. Remember to listen humbly – to both criticism and praise – and show that you take the feedback seriously by acting on it. Then your customers will feel heard and appreciated, which in turn creates loyalty and ambassadors for your brand. In other words: a well-executed customer survey is an investment in both more satisfied customers and a more successful company. Good luck with your next customer survey!

Send the customer survey to the right people

A customer survey only gives good answers if it reaches the right people at the right time. Send it to your own customer list by newsletter, and remind those who have not answered with an SMS mailing. That gets you more answers than if you just post a link.

Paloma is a Swedish platform for newsletters, SMS and events that has been around since 2003. You can try it for free with up to 250 emails a month.

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