Customer Surveys - techniques

Typically, there are three techniques to use when carrying out a customer survey - Interviews, Focus Groups, and Questionnaires. Each is suited to particular situations and the following tables summarises when they are best used and their pros and cons.

	When to Use	Pros and Cons
Interviews	When individuals interviewed have considerable expertise in a subject matter. When the targeted population is small and/or dispersed. To get in-depth understanding of how work is conducted. To get in-depth thoughts or opinions of key individuals. To get/give information and gain commitment to a course of action.	Are personalised Offer flexibility Yield rich data Can be arranged quickly
		Can be costly Are tedious to analyse Requires skilled interviewer
Focus Groups	To hear the voice of the customer in a group setting. To get at the underlying attitudes and feelings. To gather information from many people, when money and time are limited. To use customers as a "sounding-board" for safely exploring ideas.	Ensures that all critical issues are covered. Gives "why" as well as" what" Yield rich data Can be arranged quickly
		Can be costly Are tedious to analyse Requires skilled moderator
Questionnaire Surveys	To do a quantitative analysis. To gather information that is representative of a large population, or from a specific large number of individuals. When face-to-face meetings with respondents are difficult, impossible, or undesirable.	Are efficient Ensures standardisation of data.
		Danger of "garbage in - garbage out" Response rate cannot be guaranteed Interpretation affects results

Customer Surveys - techniques

When to Use

Pros and Cons