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Best Practices for Measuring Customer Satisfaction

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Best Practices for Measuring Customer Satisfaction
Dana Atchley
Keller Graduate School
Introduction
There are several means for measuring customer satisfaction including surveys, focus groups, complaints analysis and user groups. Research of top companies around the world seems to suggest that the customer survey method is used more often than any other. There can be problems with data collection and analysis from surveys but technology is improving the measurement of data (Oakland, Beardmore, 1995). We now have computer software to take data, analyze and distribute results. This may be more accurate in reporting the statistics reducing human error, but the survey has to be correctly designed to ensure that data is not tarnished (Fogli, 2006).
Measurement Methods The most popular method of measuring customer satisfaction is the survey. Most companies will use independent marketing firms to design and implement surveys that are customized to their industry. These companies can use postal questionnaires and telephone poles to collect data. Usually these questionnaires consist of around fifty questions rating the service on the five point Likert scale (Oakland, Beardmore, 1995). They focus around ordering, delivery, installation and their criteria for excellent suppliers. Telephone surveys are similar in the questions asked but added some different elements concerning competitors. These surveys not only expressed what the organizations are doing well, but where unimportant tasks are being performed. This results in cost savings as well. Improvement in technology has created the use of Internet surveys as well. There are several organizations that send out surveys to customers by email on a regular basis. CDW has been able to take responses from these surveys, send the results to their sales staff and generate 230 million in additional

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