Dusseldorf Coffee Table Session on Customer Satisfaction Surveys

 “Your opinion is very important to us”, says the questionnaire of the hotel in Düsseldorf, as we were leaving. “We strive for continuous improvement…” is the reason why.

At the reception I patiently fill out the survey, realising more than ever, how many of these questionnaires I actually participate in on a regular basis. How I value the „Außengelände“. I don’t know. Are there any meals that you have not taken here? Eh, yes. Why? Eh, I wasn’t there at that particular moment in time. Did you enjoy the programme? The receptionist waits for me to finish.

We held a Coffee Table on Customer Satisfaction Surveys in Düsseldorf on 12 January last. A Coffee Table is Noventum language for an informal discussion with clients and friends. The survey theme was the subject in January; in Germany and will be also in February in London. Guests are by invitation only. The group is limited in number and of a high calibre and from different backgrounds. All present are experienced and successful in their businesses. There is a guest from a university, to cover that academic side of things as well. All aspire to be better in what they do.

We felt that a new initiative in the customer survey area was needed. Many of our clients, researchers in the academic field and Noventum partners, felt that present day customer satisfaction and loyalty surveys were not up to standard anymore; they are old fashioned. Results remain unaltered over many years. Outcomes can usually be predictable and easily explained. We are not being forced into action. There is no inspiration. The standard formula has run out of fuel. Time for a change!

The why we do surveys was one of the intriguing questions for us on that Düsseldorf day.  We discovered that we actually do not question ourselves about the why. We complete customer satisfaction surveys  because we have always done so. We have done it for so many years, often since the mid-nineties, when customers became more important in almost every business environment. We do it for our managers, as one of our guests ironically said. But most of the surveys used do not really change the world. To really improve our business, you have to focus much more on your customer needs, and then build a survey that provides you with the information that you are looking for.

The relation between satisfaction and loyalty is not strong. We have clearly seen that. And even loyal customers often don’t stay with you. We separated attitudinal loyalty from behavioural loyalty, to get more grip on this problem, which gives an interesting perspective. 

But do we have a general answer? Not yet, not as much as we would like. Probably it just depends. You may be very satisfied with your Mercedes Benz and very loyal to the brand – but your next car will be an A6. Why? You just wanted something new, that’s why! But now suppose that Mercedes Benz would offer you a totally new version of your previous car at exactly the right moment? Environmentally perfect?, Slightly cheaper?, perhaps you would have chosen a Benz again. Who knows?

And take this example: let’s assume that your company expects you to drive a German car – not a bad idea at all. Your choice is between a Mercedes C class, Audi A4 and BMW3 series, comparable in every respect.  Compare that with a situation in which you have total freedom of choice of cars. In which of the two situations would it be more likely for you to choose the same brand again? In other words, how does choice influence your behaviour?

The Düsseldorf meeting met our expectations. We were quite happy with the results. Our guests confirmed that they valued the session as well. We will report results and additional information to them personally. London will follow on 18 February 2011.

On the basis of the outcome of discussions in Düsseldorf and London, Noventum will develop a brand new, state-of-the-art customer survey proposition, one that will be easy to use, that will use modern technology and that will bring actionable results. In order to supply full support in every aspect of services business, Noventum needs to propose this service to our customers in the near future as well. As we said: time for a change!

 For more information about our coffee table sessions contact:rene.degen@noventum.eu