Your customers can tell you a lot. They can give you business insights about what the strategic next step might be, point out errors that could lead to dissatisfaction, and tell you just what they like so that you may build on it.
That’s why businesses are opting to include customer surveys into their usual operating.
But just including them isn’t enough. In fact, many businesses are not making the most out of this. Did you know that there are the right time and a wrong time to send those surveys out? Failing to adhere to this can often lead to below-par responses and low-quality insights.
In fact, this simple misstep can make this golden ticket a customer’s bane, increasing customer dissatisfaction with your brand.
So let’s do it right.
There are two key factors to consider when timing your surveys – is it a feedback survey or a general one asking for input about new features or brand changes?
Both will allow you to gather insights but need to be timed very differently for the best quality of responses. Your feedback surveys will be strategically embedded at key touch-points, often immediately after a consumer interaction with your brand. A general feedback survey, however, needs to be strategically deployed throughout the week.
5 Best Times to Conduct Customer Surveys
Post-Purchase
Did the customer just make a buy? Once they have received the product, spring the question – what did they think?
Was it up to the mark? What can be improved?
Doing so immediately after the product is received easily connects the feedback with your brand, making customers feel valued and giving them a chance to give you relevant insights.Scout out the Bad Experiences
Most customers who have had a bad experience will leave you without a second thought – often without even telling you why!
In fact, customers who have had negative experiences are also more likely to tell their friends as opposed to those who have had a positive experience.
So it is essential to keep your ear to the ground and turn such experiences around – and the best way to do that is through immediate feedback.
Did they just get off the call with a customer service executive? Ask them if they were satisfied. Was the executive polite? Was their complaint/problem resolved?
Maybe they just checked out their cart. Was the process smooth? Did they think anything could be improved?
If they had a bad experience, this gives them an outlet. They will tell you just what upset them, and you can immediately follow through to make the experience a positive one!
The more forthcoming and helpful your brand is, the higher your chances of turning bad experiences into good ones.
After all, you can’t fix a problem you don’t know about. So the more opportunities you give your customers to talk, the more insights you will gain.
In doing so, you can actually significantly reduce your customer churn (by as much as 67%) and even identify problems that may have otherwise led to more dissatisfied customers!Exit Surveys
Not all customers will stick around for the long run, but gathering insights from those leaving your brand might help you increase consumer loyalty.
If someone just hit unsubscribe –ask them why.
If they are discontinuing their account with you – why is that?
The more information you collect about why they are leaving, the easier it will become to prevent the scenario from recurring – provided you act on the insights, of course.Monitoring the Change
Did you just revamp your website? Or perhaps you changed a key form that customers often use.
Most customers are averse to sudden changes, so instead ask for their opinion as soon as they use this feature.
What did they think of the new format/interface? Was it easy?
Asking them questions allow them to speak their mind and gives them a sense of power in the scenario, making the change more likely to leave a positive impression.
When it comes to the best survey timings, a general rule of thumb should be – as soon as possible. If a survey is conducted out of the blue, you run the risk of annoying the customer in addition to getting vague insights.
However, for more general insights that would allow you to determine your business plan ahead, a different approach would be preferred:
General Insights / Opinions
Not all customer surveys will be positioned following key interactions with your brand. In fact, some need to be strategically sent out throughout the week.
Are you thinking about making a big change? Perhaps you want to upgrade your website or are considering launching a new product.
Such surveys are more generic in nature hence the timing for this is different too!
Numerous survey platforms have aggregated and analyzed the data to see which days yield the highest responses, and there was a marked difference noted between the kinds of industries.
If you are a B2B company trying to survey your consumers, then Mondays are definitely your best bet. They give you the highest response rates and the best quality of insights.
The response rates see a considerable decrease as you progress further in the week, with Fridays yielding the least responses.
On the other hand, B2C companies have a better window for surveying their customers throughout the week.
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are all noted to have a high completion rate. However, Thursdays and Sundays should be avoided completely.
When it comes to surveying, timing plays a crucial part. With the right timing, your customer surveys can give your brand a distinct advantage. See the difference for yourself!
