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Organizational Effectiveness Through Feedback Management
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>> Customer Survey Guidebook
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Customer Surveys
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Review our
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and see how a misalignment between a survey invitation and the actual survey.
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Our companion book for our Survey Workhop Series
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A three-day survey training class to develop your skills to conduct successful survey projects.
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Customer Surveying: A Guidebook for Service Managers (a.k.a., The Customer Survey Guidebook) by Dr. Fred Van Bennekom and published by the Customer Service Press, is designed to guide survey project managers to effectively plan and manage their own survey research projects. It is not an encyclopedia on the subject of customer satisfaction surveys or a textbook on survey theory. Rather, its 256 pages aim to provide the tools the survey novice needs to collect real and useful information about customers needs or perceptions -- or research other groups of interest such as employees. The Customer Survey Guidebook introduces theories and concepts, but always with a focus on practical application. Customers of our Survey Mentor product suite and our Survey Workshop Series receive the book as a deliverable, but it can also be purchased separately.
Want more help than a self-help guide? Our Survey Workshop series provides three intensive days of training with a survey expert. Even those attending with some background in survey projects are amazed at how much they didn't know. Plus, the Survey Guidebook is a deliverable of the workshop. If you buy the book from us now and attend the Workshops later, we'll credit you the purchase price.
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The term survey guide is used very explicitly here. A guide in the classic sense helps show the path through unknown territory, helping the journeyer to avoid pitfalls, but also answering questions along the way and pointing out features that enhance the value of the trek.
The Customer Survey Guidebook plots a path for the surveyor from planning the project, designing the questionnaire, administering the survey, to reporting the results. A trail map is used as a metaphor for the typical trail or path a surveyor would follow in the life of a survey project. At each stop on the trail, the tasks are described and the pros and cons of various options are outlined. Much of the book uses an "FAQ" format, anticipating the questions a novice surveyor might have and answering them concisely in a bulleted format. Think of this book as "Customer Surveys for Dummies"® but written at a slightly higher level. ("Dummies" is a registered trademark of IDG. We tried to interest IDG in the title, but they declined.)
Customer Surveying has been adopted as a required text book for:
 Harvard University's Certificate in Management marketing courseIndiana University's Evaluation of Information Systems course. |
The Customer Survey Guidebook pays particular attention to options for questionnaire design and potential pitfalls. Chapter 4 describes how the attributes for survey questions can be identified, then covers all the various types of survey questions from nominal to ordinal to interval scalar questions. Scale construction is covered in some depth. The next chapter turns to survey administration, covering the advantages and disadvantages of each of the major survey administration methods. A latter chapter explores web and email surveying techniques in even more depth. Sample size requirements and statistical accuracy are also covered, along with ideas on how to increase response rates.
Harvard Management Communication Letter (October 2002) cites
Fred Van Bennekom and his Customer Surveying book.
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[Your book] has helped me a lot already. I put all other books aside... It is the only one that I am using since it is by far the best I have read about surveying.
-- Matthies Wies, Germany
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The sixth chapter of this new version of the Survey Guidebook contains far more information on analyzing a set of survey data, illustrating how to use Excel to do the analysis. Screenshots will help you learn how to apply the spreadsheet formulas to your own survey data analysis.
Throughout the book 67 figures and charts are included. Four exercises will help readers practice their new-found skills.
How to Order. Please use our secure on-line order form. Or contact us by phone or email. Great Brook is currently offering the book for US $29.95, which is 34% off the list price of $44.95.
Occassionally, we have books that have been used as display copies or that have some other minor damage to them. These we sell at a discount, typically $20 to $25 depending on condition. Please contact us by phone or email for availability of "B stock" copies of the book. The book is also available through various service industry bookstores and Amazon.
If you'd like the author to sign the book, let us know on the order form in the Referral Information section.
Shipping Costs. US Postal Service Media Mail ground shipping within the US is $4.00. USPS Priority Mail shipping is $5.00. We do ship internationally. Check our order form for those rates. Almost all our shipments go out the next day and sometimes the same day. We have held our shipping costs constant for several years, but the recent shipping cost increases forced us to raise our shipping rates. Follow the link for details about our shipping processes especially international shipments.
If you prefer to have hands-on instruction, consider our Survey Design Workshop. Workshop registration includes a copy of the Survey Guidebook! If you buy the Customer Survey Guidebook now to get a flavor of the Workshop, we'll credit you the purchase price should you attend the Workshop -- but only if you purchase through Great Brook.
Before you do your next survey project,
get assistance from the Customer Survey Guidebook!
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Table of Contents
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What People are Saying
About the Survey Guidebook...
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Table of Figures & Exercises
Introduction
Chapter 1: Basics of Customer Surveying
What is a Survey? What is Sampling?Why Conduct a Customer Survey?Customer Loyalty Research Portfolio: Surveys and BeyondThe ROI of Customer Loyalty ProgramsThe Marketing Aspects of Customer SurveyingTypes of SurveysSpecific Purpose
Periodic Surveys
Transaction-Driven Surveys
Chapter 2: Pitfalls on the Survey Trail
Instrument Design & Survey Quality Survey Administration & Survey QualityChapter 3: Survey Project Management
Key Stages of a Survey ProjectPlanning a Project: Resources
Budget
Schedule
Chapter 4: Designing the Questionnaire
Identifying Questions to Ask - Basic ResearchPersonal Interviews
Focus Groups
Documentary Data
Analyzing the Data
Drafting the QuestionnaireElements of a QuestionnaireIntroduction
Instructions
Initial Questions
Section Headings
Summary and Thank You
Sequencing QuestionsQuestion FormatsData Types
Unstructured Question Format
Structured Question Formats:
Multiple Choice or Categorical
Ordinal Rating
Interval Rating
Ratio Scales
Guidelines for Questionnaire DesignPilot TestingChapter 5: Administering the Survey
Choosing an Administration MethodCriteria for Evaluating Methods
Postal Mail Surveys
Telephone Surveys
Electronic Mail Surveys
Web Form Surveys
Surveying "by Disk"
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Targeting the Population & Selecting the SampleTaking a Census
Random Samples
Stratified Samples
Determining the Sample Size & Sample Distribution SizeDetermining the confidence of the results
Pre-administration Notes Sending the SurveyIncreasing Response RatesFollow-Up Reminder Notes
Thank You Gifts
Use of Third-Party Vendors
Collecting the ResultsChapter 6: Analyzing & Presenting Results
Plan of AnalysisStatistical AnalysisDetermining the Typical Response
Describing the Range of Responses
Descriptive Statistics - The Easy Way
Bivariate & Multivariate Statistics
Other Statistical Tests
Pivot Tables
Analyzing Textual Data
The Written Report & Management PresentationThe Emperor's Clothes Dilemma
Management Presentation
Data Tables
Charting and Graphing the DataPie Charts
Bar Charts & Column Charts
Stacked Bar & Stacked Column Charts
Scatter Plots
Chapter 7: Taking Action
Follow-up ResearchService Recovery ActionsOperational Quality Control: Statistical Process Control ChartsChapter 8: Survey Automation Tools & Survey Outsourcing
Survey Automation ToolsBenefits of Using Survey Automation ToolsThe Role of Automation Tools in a Survey ProjectSelecting Survey Automation ToolsPricing of Survey Automation Tools Hidden Dangers with Automation ToolsOutsourcing Sources of Survey Automation Tools & Outsourcing OrganizationsAppendix: Discussion of Exercises
Bibliography
Index
About the Book
About the Author
Publisher: Customer Service Press
256 pagesSoftbound binding, 6.5" x 9"67 figures and charts4 exercisesPrice from Great Brook: US $ 29.95, including Media Mail ground shipping by USPS. We all expect quality service, however, when problems arise we additionally expect: security, helpfulness, reliability, fast response, empathy and compensation. This is exactly what I received from Fred Van Bennekom and Great Brook. The book ordered was lost in the mail system [to Mexico] and Fred, taking care personally, shipped to me a replacement copy immediately. This is superior quality service and much higher than just a regular good one because everybody knows that something unexpected can happen. I am very satisfied, delighted and grateful with this experience.
Guillermo Moreno
Monterry, Mexico
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Just wanted to let you know I received the book and I thought it was fabulous. It really helped in my research for a web seminar called "Satisfaction Guaranteed: Conducting a Call Center Satisfaction Audit". There are many good books out there on this topic, but yours really stands out in terms of its practical, step-by-step approach and excellent examples. I am now a big fan!
Penny Reynolds, Senior Partner,
The Call Center School, Clarksville, TN
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You are just a great writer -- very conversational in your style, to say nothing of the wonderful insight into the questionnaire design, statistical analysis, and management reporting. I also really liked the questions you added to help identify "what's wrong with this question.
Ellen Carney, VP Marketing, Thrupoint
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Dr. Van Bennekom's experience is real and he clearly communicates his message so that any support manager will understand who, how, and why to survey their customers, and how to get useful results that will make a positive impact on their organization.
Richard Reiter, Director, Technical Support, NetManage, North Andover, MA
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I was a complete novice, but was asked to do the customer satisfaction surveys for our department. I attended a workshop conducted by Dr. Van Bennekom, and with the help of his guidebook our survey efforts have been a great success.
Sandee Kennedy, Manager, Data Resources,
Sabre, Ft. Worth, TX
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I just have to express my gratitude for your Customer Surveying book! I train our customers on the e-talk Survey product, including "consultative training" on designing effective questions, when to survey, what to do with the information gathered, etc. I have read large amounts of information on the subject of surveys and by far, yours is the most straight forward, easy to understand, and comprehensive. Thank you for making my job easier, and my customers happier!
Carol Leonetti, Instructional Designer and Instructor, e-talk Corporation, Irving, TX
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As an officer of a not-for-profit organization, I was tasked to research member wants and attitudes. I've found Customer Surveying Guidebook book to be a valuable guide in designing and executing the survey project so as to obtain usable, accurate results. The book answers questions I would never have thought to ask.
Doug Markley, Treasurer, Landlords, Inc., Overland Park, KS
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After discovering Dr. Van Bennekom's survey workshop and unique approach to survey design, our entire company adopted his sound methodology. His thought provoking and well-organized survey workshops, complemented with the Survey Guidebook, should be attended by anyone who is serious about understanding the power of a well-crafted survey.
Chase Fraser, President,
MarketQuiz. Inc., Dallas TX
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Fred's thorough, rigorous approach to survey design and analysis is clearly presented in the Customer Surveying Guidebook. He asks the right questions to prompt deeper thinking about the design of the questionnaire and the interpretation of results. Reading his Guidebook will help you develop those inquisitive traits that add so much value to a survey program.
Paul Kowal, President, Kowal Associates, Inc., Boston, MA
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The Customer Surveying Guidebook covers important topics in step-by-step detail, helping the novice survey project manager learn how to develop a customer survey program. Beyond the excellent content, the book's real strength lies in Dr. Van Bennekom's presentation of otherwise dry material in a very easy-to-understand, approachable way - with a touch of humor. The book is a pleasure to read.
David Keifer, Manager, Global Customer Support Services, Eaton Cutler-Hammer, Pittsburgh PA
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A customer satisfaction survey seemed almost dangerous - I was really afraid of putting a lot of work into a project and getting misleading or unusable information. Now, though, I've got enough understanding of both good design and the perils and pitfalls of surveying that I'm confident my time and effort will be well-spent.
Martha Lundgren, Manager, Information Center, Texas Association of School Boards
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The art of crafting surveys and analyzing their results provides, arguably, the most important application for statistics. I learned how to avoid pitfalls and biases in this concise but lucid presentation.
Mark D. Joseph, IT Manager, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
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As manager of Network Technology for the Bank of Montreal's Corporate University, Fred's survey methodology has been instrumental in my annual success. The improved understanding of my clients and business challenges has helped my team focus its improvement efforts. All of this has enhanced my team's reputation for being current and insightful which always contributed to my clients' business successes.
Dan Simonini, Manager, Network Services Institute for Learning, Bank of Montréal, L'Academie de la Banque de Montréal, Scarborough, Ontario
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Your book identifies all the keys aspects of a successful survey project - proper planning, designing the survey instrument, the process of administering the survey, gathering the results, analyzing the results, reporting the results, and taking action. I see the information in this book helping us a great deal in developing proper questions for the surveys we are developing for various aspects of our customer relationships we are measuring. The wisdom in your book demonstrates that if we don't invest the time in developing an exceptional survey instrument we'll be making decisions on bad data and possibly taking action on the wrong things.
Kevin Ritter, Customer Support Manager,
Firstlogic, Lacrosse, WI
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Fred, I loved the book. It has really helped me work more effectively with our outside vendor. I had very little experience and understanding of surveys making it difficult for me to really grasp what the company was telling me. After reading the book, I really am able to take a more active role in the process.
Mary McKellar, Digital Insight
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Your book is so well written and I studied it so hard, that when one of the company marketing guys reviewed my survey (he has a lot of experience in customer satisfaction surveys), he told me it was great and nothing needed to change. He said that when I emailed him the survey and he read it, that he knew I either had a lot of experience writing surveys or else I did a lot of studying.
A recent but anonymous reader
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