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Grow Subscriptions By Sending a Customer Satisfaction Survey

Picture of Igor Krasnykh   Igor Krasnykh  ·  4 minute read
 
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For subscription businesses, customer retention rates are always in flux. While cancellations are inevitable, the goal is to gain new customers at a faster rate.

This article is for you if:

  • You are curious about how customer satisfaction surveys could make a real difference for your business;
  • You want to know the most effective questions to ask when pursuing customer feedback;
  • You want to know the best way to leverage customer feedback;
  • You want to schedule a time to speak with an e-commerce expert about your business strategy.

Information is power. The more you know about how customers perceive your brand, the better opportunity you have to make adjustments that will help to preserve monthly memberships.

Does your company need to invest in more employee training? Are there problems you need to address in certain areas? Do you know the specific things your monthly membership business is doing well?

These are all things that can be answered through customer satisfaction surveys.

Customer satisfaction survey pitfalls to avoid

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A roundup of data surrounding customer satisfaction surveys brings to light ways you can make your efforts more successful. Here are two key things to keep in mind as you solicit feedback from recurring customers.

Consider the user experience

A majority of survey-takers – 72% – said surveys interfere with their experience on a website. That means brands must be mindful of how they present customer satisfaction surveys so the interactions are positive.

Timing is everything. Rather than interrupting the browsing experience with a pop-up, make it a rule to only ask for feedback after a purchase is made or when the user is leaving the site. You can also opt to email survey questions later that the customer can answer at their convenience.

It is also important to ensure your customer satisfaction survey is mobile-friendly. According to IMImobile, 75% of people answer surveys on their mobile devices.

Offering incentives can also entice more people to give you the answers you seek. Consider giving a monthly membership discount in exchange for feedback.

Don’t make customer satisfaction surveys too long

Have you ever abandoned a customer satisfaction survey midway through? If so, you are among the staggering 80% who said they have done the same thing. Furthermore, 52% said they would not spend more than three minutes answering survey questions.

Don’t lose sight of one of the biggest advantages to monthly memberships – they save time. Your customers are busy people, and asking for even 10 minutes could be a stretch.

You must get straight to the point when it comes to customer satisfaction surveys. Be precise, and figure out which inquiries will benefit you the most. If you are not sure where to begin, the following eight survey questions are a great place to start.

1. Take the opportunity to gather demographics data

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Age, gender, ethnicity, employment type, salary, education, and marital status are all categories that have helped businesses target customers and fine-tune marketing efforts. Getting a snapshot of who your survey-takers are can be helpful in some cases.

For example, if you find that most of your customers are female and you want to reach more male buyers, it is essential to know which gender is answering the customer satisfaction survey. Again, it is important to zero in on which demographic information is necessary for your cause. Only including what is needed helps avoid making the survey too lengthy.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your monthly membership?

Using a 1 to 10 scale (where one is the worst and 10 is the best) has been a successful method for gauging how happy your customer base is. While this information can be telling on its own, don’t miss the opportunity to follow it up with an open-ended survey question.

If someone rates your business at a three, an actionable strategy can not emerge unless you know why. For those who answer with anything less than 10, ask, “What could we do to bring the rating of your monthly membership to a 10?”

3. How likely are you to recommend this subscription to a friend?

It is always flattering to know that a customer would recommend your brand to others, but you shouldn’t stop there. For those who say they would be likely to refer friends to your monthly membership service, follow up with an incentive for them to do just that.

After they complete the customer satisfaction survey, let them know that an email is on the way with an individualized promo code they can share. If their friends make a purchase using their code, give them a discount on their next recurring order.

4. In what ways does the product or service benefit you?

Enhancing the lives of customers is the goal of any business. When a customer details the value a monthly membership brings to their life, it is a true gift. In addition to reinforcing what you are doing right, you can also harness the information for testimonial opportunities.

5. Which of the following words best describe your interactions with our business?

Some people are not big on giving details. Either they just aren’t big talkers, or they do not want to take the time to elaborate. Providing a pre-made checklist of adjectives for them to describe your brand makes their job easier while still providing value to you. You may use words like “valuable, friendly, and helpful.”

While the hope is that they will not be checked, be sure to include negative words like “very poor” as well.

Keep the entire list brief with no more than 10 options to choose from.

6. How would you rate the value for the cost of the monthly membership?

Are your business offerings priced right? While everyone hopes to save money, it may be a red flag if you get consistent feedback that the perceived value of your monthly membership is less than what you are charging.

Could you sell more monthly memberships if the cost were a little lower? The trade-off could be worth it if your profits are projected to be higher over time.

7. How would you rate the customer service of our business?

This is one of the customer satisfaction survey questions you should not omit. In our previous blog post, we gave stats about how customer service impacts customer loyalty. Here’s a recap:

  • 65% of consumers said quality customer service is a factor when deciding where to make their purchases;
  • 67% of consumers said good customer service encourages them to stay longer and/or spend more money;
  • 57% of people would pay more for an item or service if they know they will receive good customer service;
  • 73% of consumers said receiving good customer service from a retailer increases the likelihood they will spend more money than they had planned.

This is another question where an open-ended follow-up is worth including. Try to get specific details about the reasons behind your customers’ answers. The worst-case scenario is that they will leave the answer blank.

8. Do you have additional questions, comments or concerns?

Finally, give survey-takers the final chance to elaborate. Whether they need to vent or offer additional words of praise, the answers will bring value.

In addition to choosing customer satisfaction survey questions wisely, try thinking outside the box when it comes to feedback programs. Gamification is one way to put an interactive twist on surveys. When done right, it makes the experience of answering survey questions more enjoyable while triggering a sense of accomplishment for the user.

Asking the right survey questions is a practical way to help grow your monthly membership base. Fill out the form below for a complimentary evaluation on the best way to implement a survey into your business model.
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