You’ve been asked to conduct a customer satisfaction survey so that you can see if there are any changes in how your company’s sales department, which you are a part of, can help improve their service offerings.   No one knows your department better than you because you’ve been doing your job longer and better than anyone else.   You’re very comfortable with how things are run and  you would prefer not having to do things any differently because you don’t want to adjust how you spend your day.   After all you put in a hard nine, settled into a routine you’re comfortable with, and you’re not sure what to make of  grumblings around the office about changes that are on the horizon.

These are lean times and there have been changes in virtually every department in your office as your company seeks to improve its bottom line.  As a professional however you have  a job to carry out.   Can you do your job effectively when the point of your survey is to come up with changes and you don’t want anything to change?  You can’t if you let your personal feelings get in the way.

The survey is a vehicle that’s driven by your customer’s likes and dislikes.   This isn’t a two way conversation and if you approach it that way then you’ve already failed.  In fact,  far too many surveys or questionnaires fail to the point where many people don’t take them seriously anymore.  That’s a shame because when used properly its a powerful tool.   Furthermore,  there’s no other way to carry out certain jobs and this makes them essential in nearly every walk of life.  Its unfortunate that surveys have been misused.   So how do you create a survey that people will take seriously?  I usually know after the first couple of questions whether or not the survey I’m taking is a waste of my time.

Think stupid Facebook quiz. They tend to ask you a series of vague questions so you can be categorized into the same category that nearly everyone that has nothing in common with you is also placed into.  The questions lack objectivity and while some people find them entertaining almost no one takes them seriously.   If you’re using surveys in professional setting you want to get as far away from Facebook quizes as possible.  That starts with eliminating preconceived notions of how the survey respondent is suppose to respond or how the data you get is interpreted.

You are here to impartially gather information.  Your respondent should not know you or what you think.   Stay away from provocative or emotionally charged questions.   They may be entertaining but your job is not to entertain.  Also, keep your questions simple and to the point.   If your questions are vague or mentally taxing to your survey respondents then you’re going to jeopardize the quality of the data you are collecting. In most cases its better to create a series of short questionnaires with simple questions.   Be careful of leading your respondent on.   If you were to mix your questions up would they answer them the same way?   Are you inserting your opinions into the conversation?

We’ve all been around with people that try to dominate questions and the only opinions that are heard are theirs.   In a survey the only one who should be dominating the conversation is your respondent.  Finally, remember that the survey isn’t about you its about the respondent.  The survey is an instrument for gathering information. It will only be taken seriously if its used as such.