Summary of Client’s Challenge
The world’s largest survival technology solutions provider contacted Change by Design to assist with a customer satisfaction survey transformation. The client held ISO certifications, meeting globally-recognized performance standards for all aspects of the business, which were articulated through their quality management system (QMS). This, along with the rigorous auditing requirements and continuous improvement focus, guaranteed at the highest level of quality worldwide. But the company and ISO auditors found a misalignment between their current evaluation of customer satisfaction, and what was required by ISO, which presented a threat to re-certification.
Fail-Safe Quality For Fail-Safe Survival Products
This client’s primary business was manufacturing, distributing and servicing maritime, defense, energy and aerospace survival solutions like life rafts, life boats, rescue boats, immersion suits, lifejackets, PFDs, inflatable shoot houses, and fire protection and detection safety systems. Because their products had to perform without fail, the client held an inherent interest in maintaining the high standards certified by ISO.
The challenges noted by the auditors about the current customer satisfaction survey process included:
A limited response rate of approximately two percent.
No efficient way to move timely survey results to managers.
No formalized process to align to the company’s business objectives to trends with customer dissatisfaction were identified.
Additionally, the limited focus of the survey on satisfaction relative to the ordering process, instead of a broader consideration of other factors, could not lead to a complete assessment of customer satisfaction. To obtain a positive audit sign-off going forward, the regional leadership team contacted Change by Design and Performance Evaluation Systems (PEI) to tackle the problem together.
Implementing A Sound Foundation For A Customer Satisfaction System Revamp
Change by Design began by conducting cross-industry research on best practice customer service and satisfaction in the manufacturing and distribution space. We selected Dr. Richard Oliver’s model of customer satisfaction as our basis for building the system, which defined customer satisfaction as:
“Satisfaction is the customer’s fulfillment response. It is a judgment that a product or service feature, or the product or service itself, provided (or is providing) a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfillment, including levels of under- or over-fulfillment.[1]
We determined that our joint approach would examine three points in time:
the customer’s original status,
what would occur over the course of purchasing the product or service,
and the end result.
We proceeded to build the client’s new customer satisfaction system according to Dr. Oliver’s model:
[1] Oliver (1997).
Building The Customer Satisfaction System In Three Phases
Change by Design’s deliverables occurred over three phases. Phase 1 examined ‘what is’ and revised to ‘what should be’. Phase 2 was implementation of the new survey system. Phase 3 included reporting on the customer order satisfaction survey results.
Phase 1: Evaluated and enhanced the existing customer order satisfaction survey approach
When pivoting into a new direction for customer satisfaction, it is always important to determine the starting point. During Phase 1 of this two-phase project, we conducted the following activities to evaluate the current customer order satisfaction survey approach and enhance it with greater best practice rigor. Here are the steps we took:
Audit. Conducted a customer contact audit to identify the most appropriate respondent on each order, then modified the order form and process to match.
Validate. Ensured that each respondent’s email address was correct and captured them for repeat customers.
Incentivize Team. Recommended the best incentives approach for sales and customer service representatives to work towards higher response rates, such as performance review strategies, recognition within the team or region, awards and bonuses.
Align. Revised survey questions, reducing the number of them in alignment with best practice, then designed, developed, and delivered a new Order Feedback Survey to all customers who were active buyers during each month.
Incentivize Customers. Increased responses and followed a standard process for follow-up on non-responses to maximize representation and results.
Operationalize. Took over the current survey approach and identified key non-respondents while building the new customer satisfaction survey approach and surveys, along with related reporting.
Phase 2: Implemented the successor customer satisfaction survey system
During Phase 2, Change by Design implemented the actions from Phase 1 and monitored the process to ensure that all the survey components were fully sustainable. We also re-conceptualized the client’s annual Customer Satisfaction Survey that would only be sent to customers who demonstrated repeat business over several quarters, with additional questions to cover an entire year’s purchase order activity.
Our team correctly anticipated that the annual survey would speak more broadly to the company’s decision makers, who could then respond as needed to specific issues. We anticipated that this would lead to greater customer allegiance, because they could see our client listening and responding more quickly to the challenges they identified. The incentive for completion was entering each respondent into a drawing for a gift card with an substantial dollar amount.
Phase 2 included the following survey implementation activities:
Established the survey delivery process using the company’s order database.
Loaded survey recipients monthly in a separate database.
Ensured incentives were fulfilled to identified individuals.
Monitored monthly survey results.
Followed up with a mailed card to non-respondents, with an expense limit of $60 per month.
Consulted with the client’s sales force to develop a seamless method to obtain feedback from sales representatives
Phase 3: Delivered Reports on Survey Results
The last phase was rooted in providing actionable, quantified results from the system implementation. They included three reporting vehicles, including:
Continuous Dynamic Reporting
For this new customer satisfaction survey system, Change by Design ensured that dynamic (real-time) reports of survey results could be provided, sorted by sales group and/or by region. As a result, the system could quickly highlight dissatisfied customers so that management could take timely action to correct issues, and communicate solutions.
Status Report With Quarterly Analysis
Each quarter throughout the year, we compiled data from respondents into a database for analysis. We reviewed data on a routine basis, preparing summary descriptions in narrative and charts, that could be circulated through multiple departments for full-team visibility.
Annual Survey Analysis With Recommendations
Each January, we delivered a summative annual report to key stakeholders that with results for past calendar year. It included our analysis and comparison of results by quarter, as well as recommendations to help meet business objectives during the coming year. We also digitally archived print and web-based responses, data sets and analysis files for suitable auditing.
Contact Change by Design today if you would like to discuss revamping your customer satisfaction system, or creating a new solution that helps better align fulfillment results with customer expectations.