Follow-Up Surveys: The Best Timing and Questions to Ask

The follow-up surveys are quite effective ways of collecting information about customers, their satisfaction levels, and expectations. Whether it be an online store for products, a service-based business it is possible to gain a greater insight into the customer to manage the company better. The timing and the type of questions used, make a major contribution to the success of these surveys. Now let’s take an in-depth look at when the follow-up survey should be sent and what exactly one should include in the survey.

Why Follow-Up Surveys Matter

Every consecutive survey is a link between the first contact and customer loyalty. They provide:

• Actionable Feedback: Ideas to enhance customer offerings or to enhance organizational efficiency.

• Relationship Building: This is an opportunity to tell customers or employees that their opinion on a particular matter is important.

You can keep collecting meaningful data to improve the overall outcomes by asking the right questions at the right moment.

The Other Best Times for Follow-Up Surveys

As much as follow-up surveys are important they need to be conducted at the right time. Presenting them before that time may work against the general experience that the customers had with the product or service you are marketing. Sending them too late may also trigger disinterest or wrong memories among the receiver or recipient. Below are ideal moments to schedule follow-ups:

1. Right After a Transaction: Self-generated feedback for eCommerce or service-based businesses is initiating a survey immediately after the sales transaction or service delivery. Ideally for most shares, post-transaction, it is most effective at 24 to 48 hours. This timing is perfect for questions like:

• “On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you with your recent purchase/service?”

• “Often they asked if the completion of the checkout process was a simple matter.”

2. After the delivery of the product: It is advisable to follow up with the customer after some time has elapsed in which they have been able to use a given product or even had the opportunity to transact with a given service provider. This could be 5- 10 days after delivery or completion. Key questions might include:

• It's important to know how your clients or customers feel with regards to a certain product or service that you offer hence the last question, “Did the product/service meet your expectations?”

• “Is there anything that has been done here that can be better done or done differently?”

3. Post-Event or Campaign: If you are an event hosting business or a launching campaign, reach out within 1-3 days after the event. This ensures that feedback is still important despite its apparent discontinuity. Example questions include:

• “I expected to celebrate with my people, wearing outfits which make us happy and be part of something joyful when you asked me: What did you like most in the event?”

• “What are the chances that you will embrace our future events?”

4. Periodic Check-Ins: Customer or employee relations for the long term would benefit from the administration of surveys at some point in time. Follow-up questionnaires completed each quarter or semiannually would indicate the degree of more chronic satisfaction. Ask questions like:

• “What do you think of it over the last quarter?”

• “Is there anything more they want in added facilities or services?”

Questions to ask in Follow-up surveys:

Specificity, clarity, and actionability are the guidelines to follow when it comes to forming your survey questions. Here are some types of questions to consider:

1. Questions for Measuring Customer Satisfaction: 

Gather overall happiness with your product or service:

• Do you feel satisfied when you are using our product/service: give your rate from 1 to 10

• “What do we need to change to make the experience better?”

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Questions: 

Assess the likelihood of customers recommending your business:

• “We ask all our customers, ‘How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?’ on a scale of 0 to 10.”

• Follow up with: “What is the overall cause of the score you obtained”

3. Ease of Use Questions

Understand how accessible or user-friendly your offering is:

• “What was your experience of ease of use with our website/app/service?”

• “Did you experience any difficulty in the whole process?”

4. Open-Ended Questions: 

Gather qualitative insights by allowing respondents to elaborate:

You may ask these kinds of questions like, 

• “What aspect did you enjoy most about our product? What aspect did you find valuable in our service?

• “What might be done to improve these aspects of the organization?”

5. Follow-Up on Previous Issues: 

If the survey targets returning customers, address past concerns:

• “Has your last issue been solved or is it still the same as your current issue?”

• “Is there anything that would worry them even after coming out of the hospital?”

Strategies for Increasing Survey Responses: 

Keep It Short and Sweet: Don’t conduct a survey with more than 5-10 questions to avoid taking a lot of time from the respondent.

1. Use a Mobile-Friendly Format: Make sure that the survey can be done on all devices possible.

2. Offer Incentives: One can also use coupons, vouchers, or entry tickets to help improve the number of people participating in the poll.

3. Follow Up on Feedback: Engage on the responses you get as a way of calming down your followers that you are actually listening to them.

4. Personalise Survey Invitations: Welcome respondents by both their names and call them by the recent interaction they had with your business.

5. Time Your Survey Wisely: Timed the survey for when respondents are likely to be available to fill it either in the morning or late in the evening.

6. Use Engaging Language: Do not make your survey look like a requirement; rather, make it look informal and friendly.

Conclusion: 

Further contact questionnaires are also essential to keep the relationship between the company and its customers, as well as its employees healthy. The problem to remember is that a survey strategy does not only imply the gathering of feedback on which no action shall be taken but on the survey feedback that shall be acted upon.