The secret of business success of modern companies lies in giving customers exactly what they want and in the most convenient way. At the same time, it’s impossible to achieve without a highly-qualified and dedicated team, that’s why company directors should do their best to improve the working environment and encourage positive attitudes in their employees. An efficient way to learn customer preferences and opinions is by conducting a satisfaction survey which can be quite beneficial for business.

On the whole, the satisfaction survey is a method of collecting statistical data which is later analysed. The first step towards undertaking a successful survey is choosing the most suitable type out of many available. They may differ depending on aims, target audience and forms. For example, one of the aims can be to create an image of an average client or to highlight strengths and weaknesses of a company. It’s vital to include as many customers or employees as possible in a satisfaction survey in order to get a realistic picture. In this respect special methods such as bonuses can be applied to boost participation. As to forms, usually respondents are asked to answer either check-box or open-ended questions or a combination of both.

Another important feature of a modern satisfaction survey is that quite often it’s carried out online and it’s easy to guess why. More people now have access to the Internet and prefer doing shopping in the comfort of their homes. It is on the Web that they read about new products and discuss their pros and cons. So in order to meet client needs companies also start conducting business online including advertising campaigns and different surveys. On the one hand, customers can answer satisfaction survey questions without being in a hurry, and on the other hand, it’s quicker and easier for companies to analyse data which is already in digital format.Without any doubt, surveys can provide companies with lots of valuable information about their customers and employees and this feedback should be used to improve the quality of goods and services. There are some typical spheres of application of satisfaction survey results:

1. Tailoring promotional campaigns with regard to existing client tastes and interests so that a slogan can hit home every time they hear it.

2. Dealing with problem areas that have surfaced during a survey so that next time customers may be more satisfied and company staff can work more effectively.

3. Customising already existing products or services to make them more appealing to the target audience or getting an idea of which new offers people would cater to.

4. Planning development strategies, for example, before launching a new business project or entering a new market a customer satisfaction survey may help figure out people’s possible reaction.

Definitely, attracting new clients and keeping the existing ones is the first and foremost task of the marketing department of any company but, at the same time, managers and directors should realise that future success and development lie in the hands of their employees. If there are some hidden problems in a work group, for example, with communication, staff members may be reluctant to bring up the matter because they may feel shy or be afraid of possible negative consequences for them. But a large-scale satisfaction survey allows everybody to express their opinion openly and thus highlights the most burning issues in work groups. This invaluable information is an important step on the way to enhancing performance of employees and reducing turnover of staff.

On the whole, such surveys are a cost-effective and powerful tool of communicating with company clients and employees because it shows them that their opinions can make a difference. Thanks to modern technologies it doesn’t take too much time and money to carry out a oline survey and analyse its results which can be immediately put into practice.