As a B2B company, customers are the backbone of your business. That’s why it’s important to understand what they think about your products and services. The best way to do this is by collecting customer feedback through surveys. But how do you design an effective survey? What metrics should you be tracking? And how do you analyze and interpret the data you collect? In this blog, we will guide you through the process of using surveys to gather valuable user insights and improve your business. 

The role of customer feedback in B2B

Gathering customer feedback is a great way for B2B businesses to understand their consumers’ needs and preferences. Conducting surveys is one of the best ways to collect such qualitative data. It helps in analyzing customer responses and provides valuable insights to improve satisfaction levels among consumers. Sharing survey results with stakeholders demonstrates transparency and leads to better decision-making. By regularly gathering customer insights through platforms like social media, email or chat support, businesses can build long-term relationships and loyalty with their customers.

Understanding customer feedback metrics

Marketers can deploy commonly used metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) score and Customer Effort Score (CES).  Customer data can also be collected through interactive email, chat or social media channels like Twitter or Facebook. Moreover,  messenger based surveys like Whatsapp Survey and Facebook messenger is an effective medium for high response rate. Here we will understand the most used metrics below.

What is customer satisfaction (CSAT)?

Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is a way to measure how happy customers are with a product or service. Typically, customers are asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale. These surveys help businesses identify areas for improvement and track changes over time. Asking targeted questions is important for accurate data. CSAT scores can be used to compare against industry standards and competitors. It is also advised that there stays an open-ended space for users to express their candid opinions on the choice they made.

What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a tool used to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. It asks customers how likely they are to recommend your product or service, with scores ranging from 0-10. Promoters score 9-10, and detractors score 0-6. The NPS formula subtracts detractors from promoters, yielding a score between -100 and +100. A high NPS suggests satisfied customers who can share positive word of mouth about your business. Meanwhile the customer support can attend to a detractor and offer them solutions and necessary support.

What is Customer Effort Score (CES)?

Customer Effort Score (CES) gauges how easy it is for customers to conduct business with a company. The result of the score will indicate if the customer support could resolve the issue of the customer.   It’s measured by asking customers to rate statements like “Was it easy to resolve your issue?” on a 1-5 or 1-7 scale. Lower CES scores mean the customer experience was difficult, while higher scores indicate positive feedback. In-app CES scores are frequently used after every business to customer interaction.

How to measure customer loyalty?

One can measure customer loyalty by collecting data via metrics such as NPS, CSAT scores, CES scores to name a few. This also includes customer lifetime value, repeat purchases, customer retention cost and referrals. Businesses can also note positive word of mouth on online review platforms such as Google reviews and testimonials on websites.

Designing a customer feedback roadmap for your organization

Begin by outlining the goals and objectives of your feedback program before identifying the right tools for collecting data and insights. A well-designed survey that’s easy to understand will ensure that you get both qualitative and quantitative data from your customers across different platforms. Analyzing this information can help gain valuable insights into pain points or new features that can improve customer satisfaction or loyalty.

Define objectives

Prior to designing B2B surveys, identify who your target audience will be and what you wish to achieve via the customer feedback survey process. What metrics are you looking to track and how will you follow up with each target respondents. Example you can look to improve customer support, identifying product and service loopholes or capturing general feedback.

Choose apt feedback channels

Organisations can gather customer insights via multiple channels such as phone feedback, email responses, in-app surveys or in-store feedback forms. However, the number of response rates you will get depends on the medium of distribution. We recommend switching to messenger based feedback service since it is fast, records maximum response rate and keeps users in-context with the experience.

While users are browsing the website, they can be greeted with website chatbot surveys to capture candid data. Giving multiple options for clients to share candid opinions can enhance the customer journey for them.

It should also be noted that people extensively use social media channels to share their opinions and reviews This also includes online reviews, testimonial platforms including websites. All collective feedback can help organisations gauge the general consensus among their consumer base.

Map customer touchpoints

Identify all touchpoints via which your consumers interact with your organisation. It could be via social media channels, Google search bar into your website or phone numbers to your support team. This also includes post purchase moments and other service calls. Map out what are the ways they contact the brand and strive to make the transactions seamless.

Monitor and act on feedback

Translate all feedback into actionable insights to close the feedback loop. Using these insights and data, marketers can find out current flaws and unhappy customers. This also shows that organisations care about feedback and take necessary steps to bridge the service gap. This makes a great impact when it comes to customer loyalty.

Along with this , include social listening since there are many types of customer feedback that would choose to air their positive and negative review on social media platforms.

Common mistakes to avoid while collecting feedback

Here are some common errors to avoid if the main aim is to achieve an overall customer success.

Overlooking diverse audience

Failing to consider diverse perspectives can result in biased or incomplete feedback. When collecting feedback, include a diverse range of respondents, including individuals from different backgrounds, roles, and experiences. This helps ensure that you capture a comprehensive and well-rounded understanding of the subject.

Avoiding qualitative feedback

While quantitative data can provide valuable insights, overlooking qualitative feedback can lead to missed opportunities. This includes understanding the underlying reasons and motivations behind respondents’ opinions. Pay attention to qualitative feedback, such as open-ended responses or comments, as they often provide rich context and actionable insights.

Avoiding negative feedback

Negative feedback can be challenging to receive, but dismissing it can prevent product improvement.  Embrace negative feedback as an opportunity to identify areas for development and make necessary changes. Every critique offers valuable insights that can lead to positive outcomes when addressed constructively.

Launching lengthy surveys

Avoid survey fatigue by keeping questionnaires very brief. You do not want survey drop out rates or low response percentages. This will bring half hearted data to the dashboard. Choose the right medium and pre tested templates from Merren. Avoid the cognitive heavy lifting and opt for robust customer feedback tools.

Limited response options

Providing only a limited set of response options can restrict the range of feedback you receive. Instead, offer a variety of response formats such as audio, video, photos and pdf documents. Bring multimedia response options to your feedback forms and change the way you capture consumer insights. Additionally, include open-ended questions alongside metrics of NPS survey and customer satisfaction score. Bring more candid responses to gauge.

Frequently asked questions about B2B customer feedback

The main aim of a B2B customer feedback protocol should be to elevate user experience and capture customer needs. Businesses can improve on customer service and capture honest product feedback via these feedback surveys. So it is important to strike a balance between how often you can deploy questionnaires and what type of feedback you are planning to collect.

How often should B2B companies collect customer feedback?

The frequency of collecting B2B customer feedback varies based on business needs and industry. Some companies benefit from regular collection, while others only need it during major changes. Striking the right balance between data collection and customer burden is crucial. Communication about the why and how of feedback use is vital regardless of frequency.

How can B2B companies use customer feedback to gain a competitive advantage?

B2B companies can leverage customer feedback to gain a competitive edge by understanding their customers’ needs and pain points, improving customer satisfaction, and staying ahead of market trends. Effective use of feedback requires clear goals, proper survey tools, and thorough data analysis.

Best Practices for Surveys Across B2B Touchpoints

Here are some efficient protocols we can make a note of. Improving product roadmap and customer feedback strategy is an ongoing process.

Opt for efficient templates

Merren brings customized templates that are ready to use. These templates are precise, avoid many survey mistakes and are ready to be deployed. Templates are usually pre tested and avoid multiple survey errors. Templates are also a good way to avoid jargon and technical terms that your respondents do not understand.

Offer multilingual facility

Seeking responses in multiple languages can bring diverse results to the table. People can relate to the survey even more and offer candid opinions. Merren uses a multilingual facility that you can use across templates. There are around 70+ languages that clients can use while translating their surveys.

Offer anonymity

While probing on sensitive topics, offer anonymity for respondents. This will encourage genuine feedback and you can avert skewed responses. Assure respondents that the feedback will be anonymous and it will be confidential.

Collect real-time analytics

One way to understand consumers promptly is to capture real time data. This can be done when you deploy B2B feedback forms via messenger surveys, chatbot surveys, dynamic emails or social media channels. Phone calls are also a good way to reach out to consumers immediately. This can resolve issues, close customer feedback loop and give you brownie points in the long run.

Follow up and express gratitude

Sending a thank you note or a gratitude message after a survey completion is a good way to keep them with you. This shows appreciation for their effort and they get encouraged to participate in the future. Alongside, follow up with any pending resolutions with your customers. From launching a product to completing pending requests can give a brand a competitive edge. Customer service triumphs all.

Conclusion

Customer feedback is a crucial element for any business, especially B2B. Understanding your customer’s needs, wants and pain points are essential to providing an optimal experience for them. B2B feedback helps you understand where you stand and what you need to do to improve it. It also provides insights into your consumers’ behaviour, preferences, and attitudes towards your brand. This is a good way to retain loyal customers and welcome new customers into the ecosystem.

To get started on your own B2B surveys, sign up for a 14 day free trial here.