11/ 02/ 2006
by Heather Larson
Jason Belkin, who, along with his wife, Theresa, owns Hampton Coffee Company with two locations in the Hamptons, N.Y., and one in Fair Lawn, N.J., found the mystery shopping service he had hired to evaluate customer experiences expensive and its reporting repetitive. So he turned to comment cards for the information he wanted and needed.
"I designed the comment cards myself and had them professionally printed on card stock," Belkin says. "The printing was a one-time cost of $500 (I haven't run out yet), while the mystery shopping cost a few hundred dollars each month."
Since implementing the comment cards three years ago, Belkin's business has increased each year, even though Starbucks recently opened stores near two of his locations.
"If you measure customer satisfaction, then you'll know how best to allocate your resources," says Dr. William Bleuel, professor of decision sciences at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. "When customers tell you what's important to them, you know where to focus your attention."
Personal conversations are the best way to measure customer satisfaction, Bleuel says. But few business owners or their customers have the time for in-depth interviews. In that case, mail-in surveys or comment cards are the next best options.
Ask questions that are easy to answer yet still give you enough information. Bleuel suggests questions such as: What did you think of the store overall? What were your impressions of the product or service? What can the business owner do to improve the customer experience?
Remember to only ask customers about things you're willing to alter, Bleuel cautions. Cleanliness is something you can improve, but the location of your store probably isn't something you want to change.
To encourage participation, Belkin offers a free cup of coffee or tea to anyone who fills out a comment card. If he feels a customer has a major complaint, he not only rights the wrong, but also gives that customer a $5 gift card. Along with the gift certificate, he includes a personal note apologizing for the customer's unhappiness and explaining how he'll fix the problem in the future.
"Every time you touch a customer, you're building loyalty," Bleuel says. "Every positive contact you make is like a thread between your business and that customer."
Measure of Greatness
Try one of these methods to find out what customers love (and don't love) about your small business
In-store comment card
Comment cards like Belkin uses are helpful for retail businesses. Be sure to place the cards in spots where customers can easily find them. Give customers the option of filling them out on the spot or returning them by mail if they're in a hurry.
Direct mail
Don't have a lot of foot traffic in your store? A direct-mail comment card might work better. Include an incentive (either a discount or free product or service) for customers who return their cards. A direct-mail program puts you in charge of the list--so you can target different groups of customers each month or quarter.
Online
Web-based surveys are a quick and easy way for customers to give feedback--as long as you have enough customer e-mail addresses. SurveyMonkey.com offers a basic subscription service for free, though you're limited to 10 questions and 100 responses. Affordable paid subscriptions are available on sites such as SurveyMonkey.com, Zoomerang.com and QuestionPro.com.
