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Survey Methodology Applied to Customer Satisfaction

Taylor Morelli

Monmouth University
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Abstract

Surveys are commonly used as a research method in the communications field. Using a survey

allows the researcher to reach a wider audience and collect a large amount of data at once.

Surveys can be conducted through mail, phone, online or in-person. Every survey requires

sampling, formatting, pretesting, method of distribution and analysis of data. Within the

professional setting, companies in the service industry use surveys to determine customers level

of satisfaction. Survey results can impact the future of the company and create change. This

paper will discuss the application of surveys within the professional setting of a construction

company.

Key Words: survey, service, customer, satisfaction, feedback, business

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Survey Methodology Applied to Customer Satisfaction

In research and professional settings, surveys are one of the most common methodologies

used to answer questions and collect data. Surveys are used to obtain the public opinion,

attitudes, and behaviors of the target audience. The fields of marketing, public relations,

journalism, and mass communication regularly use survey methodology in research (Macias,

Springston, Lariscy, & Neustifter, 2008). Researchers use surveys because it allows them to

reach a larger sampled audience quickly. Surveys can be formatted for individuals, households or

organizations with an option of interview or self-administered tactics (Treadwell, 2017).

Individual surveys are commonly used by companies to gain feedback from customers. These

surveys are administered to individuals that have been selected from a sample population.

Surveys require sampling, formatting, pretesting, method of distribution and analysis of data

collected from the surveys (Remler & Ryzin, 2015).

Sampling matters when it comes to a survey’s ability to generalize to the larger

population (Macias, Springston, Lariscy, & Neustifter, 2008). Researchers often rely on

convenience sampling, which is when the researcher selects participants that are of easy access

to them (Treadwell, 2017). After a sample is chosen, the researcher must consider the importance

of their question and the options a participant needs in order to accurately answer the question.

The format of a survey, the structure of questions, and the overall purpose of the questions are

essential in gathering usable responses (Moy & Murphy, 2016). Pretesting questions can help aid

in the development of a survey. Using focus groups or interviews on a population can determine

what questions are confusing to participants or what questions should be added to the survey

(Remler & Ryzin, 2015). In fact, it can be helpful to use previous surveys on a similar topic to
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aid in the creation of one's own survey. Previous surveys can provide a guideline of what types

of questions should be asked and in what format (Moy & Murphy, 2016).

Surveys can use a variety of question types such as open-ended, closed-ended, Likert

scale, dichotomous, semantic differential scales and multiple-choice questions. However,

depending on the nature of the question will determine what researchers use for question

formatting. Many surveys use different types of questions within one survey (Treadwell, 2017).

Questions that have fixed answers can be easier to answer for participants and analyze for the

researcher. On the other hand, open-ended questions take more time to answer, can produce

mixed results and be difficult to analyze but provide more insight than other questions. Question

ordering is also important to consider, the order of questions can impact the consistency and

influence of the survey questions (Moy & Murphy, 2016).

Surveys can be distributed through mail, phone, online or in-person. Mail, phone and in-

person surveys can be time consuming and expensive. Online surveys are more convenient and

inexpensive to conduct, making them a popular form of gathering information (Remler & Ryzin,

2015). Most people access their email or internet from their phones, so researchers must ensure

that their surveys are compatible with mobile devices (Moy & Murphy, 2016). Even though

online surveys are more convenient and cost-effective they do pose their own challenges, such as

they require more effort which can discourage participants (Treadwell, 2017). Analysis of data

varies based on the method of distribution, online surveys collect, organize and analyze data

automatically. The data and analysis from an online survey are stored on a server that the

researcher can access. In-person surveys or interviews must be done by hand or input into a

computerized system for data analysis (Remler & Ryzin, 2015). Researchers create their own

coding system and train others who will be coding the data. Between different coders, it is
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important to test intercoder reliability to make sure each item is being analyzed in the same way

for accurate results (Treadwell, 2017).

In the world of research, surveys are predominantly used in the social sciences in

quantitative and qualitative research (Macias, Springston, Lariscy, & Neustifter, 2008). In the

professional setting, surveys are used in business to measure customer satisfaction (Büschken,

Otter, & Allenby, 2013; Lee & Park, 2015; Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009). Satisfaction surveys

are conducted to determine the level of customers satisfaction in terms of satisfied and

unsatisfied (Büschken, Otter, & Allenby, 2013). When satisfaction surveys look at current and

existing customers, they can also determine the level of loyalty a customer has to a company

based on their experiences with the company (Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009).

Customer satisfaction surveys can be conducted in-house or by a third-party organization.

In some cases, in-house surveys are considered more reliable in comparison to third-party

surveys. Reliable results on satisfaction surveys can be difficult to obtain due to companies using

unethical ways of receiving high satisfaction rates (Lee & Park, 2015). Lee and Park (2015)

found that some companies use satisfaction surveys as an opportunity to only provide good

services during the time period when a satisfaction survey is being distributed. These unethical

practices by service industry companies make it hard to obtain accurate survey results and may

discourage customers to participate (Lee & Park, 2015). Reputation in the service industry is key

to a company’s success, which means companies will go to extensive lengths to prove they are

providing a good service to their customers (Büschken, Otter, & Allenby, 2013).

Survey response rate can affect the validity of survey results. Theory of survey design has

no explanation for lack of response rates (Büschken, Otter, & Allenby, 2013); however,

incentives are a good way to ensure more participants respond to a survey along with following
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up communication tactics. For online surveys, follow up emails are appropriate to remind

participants to take a survey and inform participants of incentives (Lee & Park, 2015). Lee and

Park (2015) found that satisfaction surveys were more effective in combination with regular

advertising of the company. Larger commercial surveys can also be conducted, like the

American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). ACSI have restrictions on response time and

incentives to participate (Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009). The higher the customer satisfaction

index reflects the loyalty that a customer has to a company in the future. Yang, Yang, Yeh and

Pai (2009) explain that satisfaction surveys help shed light on areas that companies can improve.

Surveys should seek the opinion of customers and employees to shed light on both perspectives

from internal and external satisfaction. Likert scale questions can capture perceived attitudes and

the likelihood of a repeat customer. For companies to be competitive it is essential to look at

customer satisfaction and retention. If customer satisfaction and loyalty are high, then profits will

most likely increase (Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009).

Small businesses, like Morelli Contracting, depend on customer satisfaction and customer

loyalty because they operate on a smaller scale (Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009). Morelli

Contracting is a small family run business that remodels kitchens, bathrooms and builds houses.

The construction field is centered around providing satisfactory customer service in order to

retain current customers and attract new customers. Construction companies relay on neighbors

talking to neighbors about their experiences with a company. If existing customers are

unsatisfied, they are unlikely to recommend the service to their friends or family, which poses a

problem for the future growth of the company (Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009). In order to gain

more customers and improve upon their services, Morelli Contracting should distribute a survey

that determines if their customers are satisfied with the company’s services. Additionally,
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determining how likely a customer would be to use the company`s services again or recommend

services to a friend.

In order to measure customer satisfaction, Morelli Contracting will sample their

population based on past and current customers that have a positive relationship with the

company. Creating a detailed list of emails, customer names, contact information and services

provided to the customer. Each participant will be emailed about participating in the survey prior

to the survey being distributed. Multiple choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions will be

used in order to collect data that can obtain qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data can

be coded and used for testimonials, while quantitative data will provide insight into customers

demographics. This will help improve the service of the company and aid in seeking out new

customers.

From the sample, repeat customers of four or more years will be selected to pretest the

survey through an informal focus group. The focus group will take place in the offices of Morelli

Contracting on a Sunday night. Dinner and drinks will be provided to create a comfortable

setting for respondents to participate. Each question will be discussed to determine the purpose

and formatting of the question. In addition, customers will talk about their experiences with the

company. After the focus group, the staff will have the space to talk about their struggles and

shed light on the customers' feedback. From the pretest, the official survey questions will be

edited and put together in an online format.

The survey will be distributed through an embedded email link and respondents will have

a years’ time to take the survey. The link will send participants to the company’s website where

the survey will appear on the Contact Page. This creates convenience for participants and data

collection. In addition, this will give new customers and existing customers the opportunity to
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see new updates on the website. Testimonials can be taken from survey answers and directly

displayed on the website. To encourage customers to respond to the survey, participants will be

entered into a drawing for the end of the year to win $100 off their next service.

A customer satisfaction survey can determine if Morelli Contracting customers will

become repeat customers as well as suggest areas of improvement. Using the website, as the

place, the survey is administered, creates a unique marketing opportunity to promote the business

(Lee & Park, 2015) and gives customers a place of reference when giving a recommendation

(Yang, Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009). Offering an incentive encourages customers to take the survey

in a timely manner and draws the customer towards using the company’s services again (Yang,

Yang, Yeh, & Pai, 2009). In addition, providing an extended survey time period will allow the

company to collect more responses and allow new customers throughout the year to participate

(Büschken, Otter, & Allenby, 2013). Morelli Contracting has never administered a survey or

gained official feedback from customers. Surveys not only can determine if customers are

satisfied but help set goals for the future.

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References

Büschken, J., Otter, T., & Allenby, G. M. (2013). The dimensionality of customer satisfaction

survey responses and implications for driver analysis. Marketing Science, 32(4), 533-553.

Lee, E. Y., & Park, C. S. (2015). Does advertising exposure prior to customer satisfaction survey

enhance customer satisfaction ratings? Marketing Letters, 26(4), 513-523.

Macias, W., Springston, J. K., Lariscy, R. A., & Neustifter, a. B. (2008). A 13-Year Content

Analysis of Survey Methodology in Communication Related Journals. Journal of Current

Issues & Research in Advertising, 79-94.

Moy, P., & Murphy, J. (2016). Problems and prospects in survey research. Journalism & Mass

Communication Quarterly, 93(1), 16-37.

Remler, D. K., & Ryzin, G. G. (2015). Research in the real world. In Research methods in

practice: strategies for description and causation (2 ed., pp. 2-21). SAGE Publications,

Inc.

Treadwell, D. (2017). Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry (3 ed.). Los

Angeles: Sage.

Yang, C., Yang, K., Yeh, T., & Pai, F. (2009). Methods for determining areas for improvement

based on the design of customer surveys. The Service Industries Journal, 29 (2), 143-154.