Do you take time for surveys and why not?

As service providers, customer satisfaction is key to our success. Surveys are a popular tool for gauging this, yet the real challenge lies in encouraging customers to begin and complete them. So, what’s the secret to creating surveys that customers not only enjoy but also engage with regularly over time? PlusCard has enlisted Centigrade's expertise for the redesign, execution, and evaluation of their 2023 customer satisfaction survey.

Together with PLUSCARD, we developed the profile of our target group in a persona workshop. What types of use are there? What motivates them or causes frustration? The LeanScope management tool is essential for us for this task. With one click, it creates realistic initial profiles of diverse user groups. We are continuously refining these proto-personas by incorporating further user research data. Generative AI and the “human-in-the-loop” approach complement each other perfectly here.

The personas helped us to further develop the questionnaire to address the needs and pain points of the users. For example, we found that one of our personas appreciated sharing their expertise. To reflect her expert status, we adapted the wording on the survey homepage accordingly.

Next, we conducted a thorough analysis of the existing questionnaire and the outcomes of the last survey. Leveraging our expertise in UX writing and psychological questionnaire construction, we posed critical questions such as: How informative are the individual items? How can we reduce both the duration and the number of questions while still preserving the informational value? Which aspects were missing in the previous surveys?

Refining the survey was a process of iteration, with continuous, small tweaks made in partnership with PlusCard. One key challenge was to enhance the survey while maintaining the comparability with the 2021 findings. Newly introduced open-ended questions allowed us to pinpoint areas of current dissatisfaction among PlusCard customers.

A pilot test with a PlusCard customer provided the fine-tuning. Once the survey was administered and responses were garnered, we began our analysis. Quantitative data were examined using descriptive statistics via RStudio. Responses to newly introduced openly phrased questions regarding desired changes and enhancements underwent assessment through affinity mapping. We categorized open-ended responses and determined the frequency of specific themes mentioned. This approach enabled us to discern the areas in which PlusCard customers are especially satisfied.

The open-ended questions yielded valuable insights into areas where PlusCard customers are seeking improvements, significantly enhancing the overall utility of the data. By strategically refining and streamlining the questions, we managed to reduce the completion time by a substantial 14%. We at Centigrade take pride in our successful collaboration with PlusCard and look forward to continuing our partnership into the future. This project is a testament to our commitment to utilizing innovative methods and tools to craft optimal solutions for our clients, fostering long-term and fruitful partnerships.