Customer Satisfaction Surveys and Structured Improvement Efforts
Many of our customers conduct Customer Satisfaction surveys as part of a formal or semi-formal Quality/Process Improvement plan. Customer Satisfaction survey data fills a need to both measure key performance indicators and refine improvement efforts by disseminating "Voice of the Customer"feedback in the customer’s own words. Both are critical to any improvement effort. Some examples of structured approaches that make full use of Customer Satisfaction survey data are Six Sigma, ISO, and TQM.
There are many others. Moreover, many of our customers utilize survey data to its fullest extent without the need for a formal organizational improvement program. In other words, this type of research is not just for Six Sigma or ISO business, it is invaluable to all types of organizations.
Overview
Many of our customers conduct Customer Satisfaction surveys as part of a formal or semi-formal Quality/Process Improvement plan. Customer Satisfaction survey data fills a need to both measure key performance indicators and refine improvement efforts by disseminating "Voice of the Customer"feedback in the customer’s own words. Both are critical to any improvement effort. Some examples of structured approaches that make full use of Customer Satisfaction survey data are Six Sigma, ISO, and TQM.
There are many others. Moreover, many of our customers utilize survey data to its fullest extent without the need for a formal organizational improvement program. In other words, this type of research is not just for Six Sigma or ISO business, it is invaluable to all types of organizations.
Knowledge by Numbers
Numeric Customer Satisfaction survey data will allow you to report descriptive and exploratory statistics, but additionally generate a framework for predicting which specific improvements will strengthen Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty. This work can be done by your analytical team, or we can provide these services customized specifically to suit your business needs. Here is a list of just some of the analytical tools that are used with Customer Satisfaction survey data:
· Multiple Linear Regression
· Logistic Regression
· Factor Analysis
· ANOVA – Analysis of Variance
· ANOM – Analysis of Means
· t-, z- testing
Numeric data in the form of rating scale, categorical selections or Yes/No type responses also allow us to make inferences about the real-world customer population. Through scientific sampling, we can predict within an acceptable margin of error, the satisfaction and loyalty levels of an entire customer population.
Voice of the Customer / Unstructured Data
Critical to any improvement effort is tapping into the Voice of the Customer. Customer Satisfaction interviewing consists not only of acquired numerical evaluations from customers but also free-form, unstructured and unfiltered anecdotal feedback. Benefits of this element to surveying are:
· View specifics behind numeric ratings (the “hidden factory”)
· Very useful in directional coaching
· Customer’s own words provide a “reality check” to process participants
· Identify opportunities for unmeasured key service attributes
· Identify hidden marketing or sales opportunities
These open ends, in our experience, become addictive to those using the data, as they add substantive color to otherwise valuable numeric information. To further enhance this Voice of the Customer data, an analyst can categorize open-ends into logical buckets, reporting on frequencies and percentages. The analyst can then determine if a Pareto Effect is at work, where a vital few causes is driving the many effects.
Recommended Texts
The following texts are recommended by our Six Sigma Black Belt and Analytics staff as helpful resources for any analyst in their quest to integrate Customer Satisfaction survey data into their organization’s Quality/Process Improvement program. Although most of the literary references below pertain directly to analyzing Customer Satisfaction survey data, some are invaluable resources that will indirectly benefit an analyst in their efforts.
Books
Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Data by Derek R. Allen and Tanniru R. Rao
Customer Satisfaction Measurement by Earl Naumann and Kathleen Giel
Implementing Six Sigma by Forrest W. Breyfogle III
The Handbook for Quality Management by Thomas Pyzdek
The Six Sigma Handbook by Thomas Pyzdek
The Six Sigma Way By Peter S. Pande by Robert P. Neuman, Roland R. Cavanagh
The Six Sigma Way Team Field Book by Peter S. Pande, Robert P. Neuman, Roland R. Cavanagh
Periodicals
Quirk’s Marketing Research Review
Quality Progress, American Society For Quality, www.asq.org
Web Sites
Other Sources
Statistical software packages often come with very useful case studies. SPSS in particular has several that are particular to survey data, or focus on tools used in analyzing survey data
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