MARKET
RESEARCH
Why customer
surveys are a must
By Vicky Hudson, Contributing Editor
In a highly competitive market, like vending, surveying
customers is necessary to provide the best service.
V
ending operators are always
looking for new ways to retain
customers and grow revenue,
especially in this increasingly competitive economic environment. One
way is to improve customer conveniences and improve the overall customer experience. To do this, many
in the industry rely on knocking on
doors, cold calling and standard selling strategies. One tactic that operators often overlook is surveys geared
to their customer base.
Surveys are used frequently, if not
constantly, by hundreds of large com18
Automatic Merchandiser
panies who sell consumer products
and services. However smaller frms,
like many in the vending industry,
often overlook this fundamental component of market research or simply
do not understand its effectiveness as
a business tool. They may also believe
surveys are too expensive when, in
reality, survey programs can be tailored to be affordable for the small
business owner.
Operations improvement
A customer survey can provide real
nuggets about business operation
VendingMarketWatch.com
April 2013
Know more about how to improve service
by asking customers first.
and areas for improvement. Operators may learn their sales approach is
not as professional as those of their
competitors or how a location rates
the operation's service response time
compared to expectations. A survey
would indicate whether micro markets or cashless readers would be well
received, and ultimately increase revenues. The information gleaned can
indicate overall strengths and weaknesses and help establish a baseline
for better performance.
Marketing effectiveness
Customer surveys can also reveal
the effectiveness of your marketing
strategy. Do customers understand
the operation's marketing message?
Do they visit the website and/or read
the sales brochure? A survey can help
direct or reinforce a marketing plan,
such as whether an operator should
add social media.
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