Customer satisfaction?

Subject: Customer satisfaction?
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com, Bonnie Granat <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 10:18:45 -0500

Bonnie Granat wondered: <<Would it be a good idea for a freelancer to conduct follow-up with customers on their satisfaction with the services they received?>>

Very much so. In fact, it's largely a matter of survival--a dissatisfied client won't necessarily complain, but may instead quietly drop you from their list of contractors.

<<If so, would a quick, three-question survey in e-mail be sufficient?>>

Nope. Surveys are things most of us are quite happy to ignore. In my experience, a phone call or face to face discussion can be more effective because it's open-ended and gives you a chance to respond immediately to a client's concerns. The downside is that many people are uncomfortable providing criticism, whether constructive or not. That being the case, if you did go with a survey, it might be done more effectively if you provide a means of anonymity.

In practice, it's most effective to monitor client satisfaction _as you work_, not afterwards, so you can ensure from day 1 that you're meeting their needs and can swiftly change what you're doing if anything about your work is inadequate. This way, you _know_ that your customer is satisfied at the end of the project, and don't have to follow up. Better still, it makes the client see your relationship as collaborative and interactive, rather than unilateral, and that gives them the confidence to tell you what's good and bad about your work.

Even if you adopt that second approach, it's still appropriate to call back or write a week or so after delivery of the final product to confirm that all is well, and offer your help to fix any last-minute details. This provides clients with considerable reassurance that you're going to be there for them even after they've paid, and will go out of your way to ensure their satisfaction.

--Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca





References:
Customer Satisfaction: From: Bonnie Granat

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