Last week, we talked about how your customers can give you plenty of useful feedback about how your store is running. We suggested you could invite customers to take a simple survey that would help you learn how to better serve them.
This week, here are some examples of questions you could use in your own survey. The trick is to make it easy for people to answer and to ask the right questions that give you the information you need.
1. How often do you visit our store?
___ Every day
___ 2-3 times per week
___ Weekly
___ Several times a month
___ Several times a year
___ This was my first visit
This question’s answer may be relevant in evaluating answers to other questions.
2. Is there an item or items we don’t carry that you wish we did?
________________________________
Over time, you may see a trend where large numbers of people want an item that you should be carrying.
3. Were you happy with the service you received today?
___ Yes
___ No
Yes or no is all that’s needed here, making it easy for the customer to check off how he/she feels.
4. Did you encounter any problem on our store today?
___ No
___ Yes
If yes, please tell us about it.___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Here’s where, if there was a problem, you’re hoping the customer will take a little time to talk about it.
5. What could we change in order to serve you better?
__________________________________________________________
This is really the key question, because the bottom line is how your customer perceives he or she is being served.
You can probably come up with other questions, but be sure to make the survey as brief as possible so customers are more apt to take the time to participate. Here are some other tips.
- Don’t ask for any personal information such as name, sex, address, e-mail address, phone number, etc.
- Make the completed survey card a coupon that customers can turn in and receive some kind of special deal.
- Survey cards can be kept by the registers, and cashiers can request that the customers fill one out.
- Or, cashiers can be instructed to place a survey card in every customer’s bag.
We’re working on putting together a template of a survey that includes questions like those written above. You will be able to access it and print it right from CstoreSuccess.com and then customize it as you wish.