We surveyed 10,000 customers! And gained exactly ZERO actionable insights.
Sound absurd? But it happens more often than you’d think. A telecommunications company launches a major customer survey. 10,000 participants! The response rate is impressive. Management is eager to see the results. The analysis comes in and…
“How satisfied are you with our service?” – Average: 7.2/10
“Would you recommend us to others?” – 67% say “Yes”“
How would you rate our responsiveness?” – Average: 6.8/10
Okay… so now what? What does a 7.2 mean? Why only a 6.8 for accessibility? What exactly is bothering customers? Which problems should we tackle first?
The answer: No idea. The data doesn’t tell us.
What went wrong?
The company asked the WRONG questions. Or rather: only superficial questions. Numbers were collected, but no stories. Things were measured, but not understood.
A 6.8 for accessibility could mean anything:
Are wait times on the hotline too long? Are the hours inconvenient? Is the chat function not working? Are service representatives not competent enough?
Without the “WHY” behind it, the number is worthless. You know there’s a problem, but you don’t know what it is. And without knowing exactly where the problem lies, you can’t improve anything. The result: 10,000 completed questionnaires, a lot of work time spent on analysis… and still no answers in the end.
How can you do it better?
Quantitative data is important for getting a sense of the scale of a problem. But it’s not enough! You need the stories behind it. You have to ask follow-up questions. You have to understand what customers really mean when they give a 6.8.
That’s why at TEMA-Q we rely on a combination: Quantitative questions show us WHERE problems are. Qualitative, in-depth follow-up questions show us WHY these problems exist and HOW they can be solved. Only this combination gives you insights you can actually work with.
If you’re done with pointless surveys and want answers that really help you, get in touch with us. We ask the right questions!
Take a look at our LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/company/tema-q/ to gain exciting insights into the world of customer and employee experience in the future.
If you have any questions about these or other topics, or would like a live demo version of ClaralytiX via video conference, click here to make an appointment or contact us.