The Satisfaction Seekers

In the February issue of CAD SPAGHETTI, we looked at the value of comparing the satisfaction levels of your customers to industry norms on the same issues, (Customer Satisfaction - What's The Norm?). Suppliers can extract a wealth of information through satisfaction surveys, but how much value do customers place on being asked, and do they get the chance to say everything they want to? To find out, we interviewed 245 UK CAD/CAM using sites in June 2001 from a cross section of industry sectors.
No Views is Bad News? There seem to be many suppliers who feel they can get along fine without customer feedback. Around half of our sample said that their main suppliers of CAD/CAM related products and services do not approach them to assess their satisfaction levels - either formally or informally.	Methodology Telephone interviews were conducted with 245 UK-based CAD/CAM using sites, representing a range of industry sectors and company sizes. The term 'supplier' was defined as the company that provides goods and support services to the end user.

Some of the suppliers involved will no doubt be of the 'sell 'em quick and clear off' variety, but assuming that many of them are actually interested in repeat business, this proportion of suppliers not seeking customer feedback is still surprisingly high.
No Views is Bad News? So do the 51% of sites that are not being quizzed about their satisfaction levels feel neglected? Almost half of this group said they thought their suppliers should conduct some form of satisfaction survey.

A similar proportion however, is not bothered about whether their satisfaction levels are monitored or not. We could assume that the satisfaction levels among this group vary between reasonably and wholly satisfied - but they will still have a wealth of valuable information to provide if the right questions are asked.
Advice Unheard We asked the group of sites that do not have their satisfaction levels assessed whether they have views on how the products/services of their suppliers could be improved. Nearly a quarter said they have. This is a significant statistic for suppliers not in the habit of surveying customer satisfaction; while three quarters of your customers can provide valuable feedback on your overall performance, the remainder have specific suggestions that could potentially improve the performance of your business.

Formal or Informal? Of the CAD/CAM user sites whose suppliers do investigate satisfaction levels, two in five use formal surveys, and just over half use more informal methods. The majority of customers (69%) feel that their suppliers' chosen method enables them to offer the full range of their views. This does not mean of course that suppliers are extracting all the available valuable information - while the customers may feel they are getting their full say, there will be a wealth of information on other levels that can be drawn out by asking the right questions.

One in five however said that their opportunity to supply their full views varied, a scenario that should not exist with a properly structured survey. Conclusion Previous research featured in CAD SPAGHETTI revealed that while the vast majority (90%) of CAD/CAM using sites are satisfied with their suppliers, a third of this group would consider changing to a new one if approached with an offer of a better all round service (How Loyal Do CAD Users Feel Towards Their Suppliers?). Monitoring customer satisfaction levels is one way to identify 'at risk' customers and treat them accordingly. It's surprising therefore that half of our sample stated that their suppliers use neither formal nor informal methods to gauge satisfaction. The clearest message is for suppliers who are not finding out what their customers think. Up to a half of these customers may be wondering why you are not doing so, and a quarter have suggestions on how to improve your products and services. Worth looking into, surely?
If you are seeking to gain a more complete picture of the attitudes, preferences and expectations of your customers around the world, read about Business Advantage's Customer Satisfaction Services.


	CAD SPAGHETTI The Satisfaction Seekers July 2001