I've said before that I always try to complete a satisfaction survey. As customers, if we want a better experience, it's incumbent upon us to tell our vendors what they need to do to make us happier customers.
If you've been to a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru recently, you've probably received a survey solicitation wiht your receipt. It looks like the one to the right.
The concept is straight forward: Go to the website telldunkin.com and complete the survey, and when you're done, you'll get a code that entitles you to a free cup of coffee.
After going throught the survey process, there are clearly some things that were done well, and others, not so much.
First the good:
Human Appeal
Most survey requests that I receive are solicited though email, by "the company" under the name of a high-level executives who's far removed from the everyday customer. DD has taken a different approach - the person that serves me asks for my opinion - and hand-writes his or her name on the receipt. Call me old-school, but hand-written and personalized beats faceless and automated any day of the week. If you want a real customer's real opinion, increase your chances of getting it by tapping into the human side: have a real employee who's been face to face with the customer ask for it. You'll receive more quality survey data that way.
Offer an Incentive.
Everyone loves to get something of value or free. DD offers a free cup of coffee for responding to the survey. After completing the on-line questions and submitting your response, you receive a unique number to write onto your receipt, and hand to the cashier during your next trip to DD, in exchange for your free coffee. It's amazing what people will do, to get something for "nothing."
DD did two things well; they positioned themselves to generate a high survey response rate, by making a more personal appeal, and offering an incentive. But once I began the response, that free cup of hot coffee began to cool off pretty quickly...
Don't make your customer jump through hoops to complete a survey.
Normally, when I receive an email survey, I click on a link that brings me to question number 1. With DD, there is no link: You open a browser, go to telldunkin.com, and enter the six-digit store number from your receipt:
But that still doesn't get you to the survey. After entering the store number, the next screen asks you to enter the 18-digit Survey Code from your receipt:
OK, that's 26 keystrokes so far (assuming you didn't transpose any of those numbers from the small-print receipt). The receipt already has an automated code printed on it; why not also print a QR code on the receipt; a code that the customer can scan with their smart phone, to be directed to the first question? C'mon Dunkin - much smaller companies than you are already putting QR codes to constructive use.
Fewer Questions Yield More Respones.
There were over 50 questions and answers to read in order to complete the survey. That's waayyy too many questions to ask a customer - in fact, it was downright painful. QuestionPro recommends no more than ten, and ideally, five easy questions on a survey.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Customer satisfaction surveys are a key element in customer experience design. The more quality candid feedback that you can get from your customers, the more informed you'll be, in improving the experience. Survey design is important - in fact, poorly-designed surveys can alienate a customer, and leave you in a worse-off position than if you hadn't conducted the survey at all.
