What Are Automated Phone Surveys?
Automated phone surveys are a common tool businesses use to collect feedback from customers. They are affordable, quick to implement, and provide a direct line to customers. You might encounter them at the end of a call, when a voice prompt asks how your call went or how satisfied you were with the customer service. These surveys give businesses real-time insights into the quality of their service and customer experience.
The goal of automated surveys is to gather actionable data that helps businesses make informed decisions, enhance customer experiences, and continuously improve customer experience with the brand.
How Do Call Surveys Work?
Phone surveys are usually integrated into a company’s communication system. They can be triggered at different points during or after a call, depending on the business’s preferences.
Call surveys can be initiated in a few ways, based on how the system is designed and the business’s strategy:
- Post-Call Surveys: These are the most common, triggered immediately after a customer ends a call. The customer is asked if they’d like to participate in a survey and is either transferred to an automated system or sent a text message with survey instructions.
- IVR Surveys: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems can include survey questions as part of the call flow. After the main purpose of the call is addressed, the system asks the customer to answer a few quick survey questions by pressing buttons on their phone.
- Follow-Up Surveys: In some cases, businesses may send a follow-up survey after the call via text message (SMS) or email. This gives the customer time to reflect on their experience before responding.
How you conduct your survey impacts your response rate and data accuracy. Your business also needs to be sure if adheres to FCC rules and any additional regulations in your area. Additionally, the direction you take your content can be more informative than you realize.
For the Greatest Responses and Best Results...
Surveys may be serious business for your business, but your customers will respond better if they enjoy the process. In fact, a creative, lighthearted, and, when appropriate, humorous approach could actually boost your response rate.
The idea is to quickly and simply collect feedback without annoying or taxing your customers. This isn’t the time for complex questions. Gather basic data to feed into your decision making process.
Don’t bombard your customers with one survey after another. Pace yourself, ask the important questions, and remember that you should not rely on survey data to make all of your decisions, only to inform your overarching decision.
Businesses have many options with call surveys. A survey can be sent to every caller or just those you choose based on certain criteria. Additionally, multiple surveys could be available at one time, allowing agents to navigate which survey to enact based on the criteria you choose. Last, business can also host a dedicated survey line—a better bet for very specific and more detailed desired feedback.
By collecting data from customers and stakeholders on a regular basis, the feedback that is provided can help businesses track trends, identify patterns, and make better informed decisions. Streamline your data collection with strategic, long-term planning and implementation.
Could an agent elect to engage a call survey only to happy customers? Of course. Does this help your company in the long run? Not at all. Consider what you’re willing to do for the numbers now and if that gain will actually serve you into the future.
Don’t like the data you collect from your call surveys sit and collect dust. Use them! Review the feedback regularly and look for areas you can take action. Customer feedback does nothing if it’s not used for improvements.
Creative Survey Examples
In reality, we can collect meaningful data on a lot more than a call experience alone. Keeping best practices in mind (above), we’re excited to share examples of subject matter and question style you can utilize to gain greater insight beyond the call and even strengthen brand perception in the process.
Brand Impression
Surveys are a great opportunity to check in on your brand. In fact, you can ask customers about a recent ad campaign, the way your brand makes them feel, your overall tone and feel, and more.
- "On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate your overall impression of [Company Name]?"
- "Trust is everything, right? How much do you trust [Company Name] to deliver exactly what you need? Press 1 for Not At All, 2 for A Little, 3 for I'm On The Fence, or 4 for Very Trustworthy"
- "Based on today's experience, how would you rate the overall quality of our service vibe? Press 1 for Offbeat, 2 for Okay, 3 for Solid, 4 for Top Notch"
- "We say we stand for [insert your primary brand values]. Did our customer service team live up to those values during your call today?"
- We promise [e.g., innovative solutions, great prices, etc.]. Do you feel we're delivering on that? Press 1 for Not So Much, 2 for Sort Of, 3 for Absolutely"
Product Awareness
You launched a new product. Do your customers know? You upgraded with new features? Have your customers used them? A survey is a great opportunity to gauge customer awareness and product fluency.
- "How familiar are you with our new [Product Name] offering? Press 1 for Never Heard Of It, 2 for I Know A Little, 3 for I'm Very Familiar, 4 for I Want To Learn More, 5 for I Currently Use It."
- "Do you think our products stand out from the competition? Press 1 for Not Really, 2 for Somewhat, 3 for They're In A League Of Their Own."
- "Which of our products is your go-to? Press 1 for I Don’t Know Them Yet, 2 for [Product A], 3 for [Product B], 4 for All of the Above"
- "Our most recent updated included new features like [Feature Example], [Feature Example], and [Feature Example]. Are you using these now or do you plan to?
- "After today’s call, how curious are you to learn more about what other products we offer?" Press 1 for Not Curious, 2 for A Little Curious, 3 for Super Curious"
Contact Frequency
If you engage with customers regularly through newsletters, podcasts, or social media, phone surveys offer a great opportunity to inquire about frequency, channels, or content.
- "When it comes to hearing from [Company Name], how do you like your updates? Press 1 for Every Now and Then, 2 for Monthly, 3 for Bring on the Updates, I Want Them All the Time"
- What’s your favorite way to stay in the loop with [Company Name]? Press 1 for Newsletters, 2 for Social Media, 3 for Podcasts, 4 for Email, 5 for Text Alerts"
- "What do you think of our podcast, [Podcast Name]? Press 1 for Never Heard of It, 2 for I Like It, 3 for It's Not My Style, and 4 for I Love it"
- "If we could only send you company news and updates on one channel, which would you choose? Press 1 for Social Media, 2 for Email, 3 for Text Messages, 4 for Podcasts, 5 for Newsletters"
- "Have we hit the sweet spot with how often we reach out, or do you wish we’d dial it up or down? Press 1 for Too Much, 2 for Just Right, 3 for I Want More"
Consumer Desire
Moving a company in a new direction or adding products to your brand family is a big deal. Find out what products might carry the demand of your customers, or what new areas your customers would like to see you dive into for another prospective in an informed decision-making process.
- "We pride ourselves on engaging in the newest, latest, and greatest. What’s the next big thing you’d love to see us dive into?"
- "What tone do you prefer when we communicate with you? Press 1 for Like An Expert, 2 for Straight to the Point, 3 for Playful and Fun, 4 for Warm and Supportive"
- "We want to know – what’s something you’ve always wished a company like ours would create? Leave your big ideas after the tone to include your voice in our next big launch."
- "When we have to get serious about hard topics, it's important that we're talking with you as an important part of every next step. How are we doing with that tone and approach?"
- "When interacting with [Company Name], do you feel like part of our community? Press 1 for Not Really, 2 for Somewhat, 3 for Absolutely"
User Experience
Today, user experience is key to product and brand health. Determining how your customers engage with you and how they feel about that experience offers critical insight to improve and evolve the experience.
- "How smooth has your experience been with our product? Is it smooth sailing or has the road been a bit bumpy?"
- "What’s your favorite thing about using our product? Press 1 for It Saves Me Time, 2 for It’s Easy to Use, 3 for It’s Packed with Features, 4 for I Just Love Everything About It"
- "How often do you access our user support portal? Press 1 for Once in a While, 2 for A Few Times a Week, 3 for Daily, 4 for I Haven't Accessed It Yet"
- We know that learning a new product can carry a curve. How steep was the learning curve for [Product Name]?"
- "How easy is it to find what you’re looking for on our website? Press 1 for I’m Lost, Where Am I? Press 2 for It Takes a Little Time Press 3 for I Find It Pretty Quickly Press 4 for I Know Exactly Where Everything Is"
Quality of Care
Automated phone surveys can be used in healthcare settings to collect patient feedback on the quality of care received, and those same topics can apply to interactions your customers have with your employees. From customer service to installation, collect the data to know your company is putting its best foot forward.
- "Was the waiting room ambiance more ‘Zen garden’ or ‘Rush hour traffic’ during your last visit?"
- "Imagine your care experience was a dish at a restaurant. Was it a 5-star meal or a quick drive-thru snack?"
- How well did the healthcare team work together during your visit? Was it a well-choreographed ballet, or did it feel like they were playing different songs altogether?"
- "When you needed help, how easy was it to get in touch with someone?"
- "Did your last appointment feel more like a soothing spa day or a whirlwind speed dating session?"
Make Call Surveys Part Of your Plan
Regardless of the direction you choose to take with your surveys, it’s important to understand that this VirtualPBX Contact Center tool is there for you to affordably check in with your customers. With VirtualPBX, you can even dedicate lines specifically to conducting surveys and collecting information. Want more creative implementation ideas and feedback strategies? Chat with us!
