Brands must be on top of many aspects. Among the most critical, given the impact it has on repeat purchases of their products and services, is satisfaction. Although at first glance, it may seem that people are proactive and open in expressing their impressions of a given experience, the reality can be very different. The expression of our opinions is influenced by many social circumstances. In Latin America, there are even more biases.
In the countries of our region, there is a strong element of courtesy in the way we relate to others. Except in very intimate settings and with extraordinary familiarity, people qualify or withhold their true comments about a consumer experience. Another exception to the rule is when the consumer faces an extreme situation that exceeds their patience, and they decide to socialize their annoyance and encourage those close to them to reject something or someone. Therefore, we list four conditions for a satisfaction study.
Evaluation scales. Generally, people have very limited time due to multiple commitments. It is suggested that satisfaction data collections be brief. One technique that helps us meet this standard is the rating scale. It is applied by selecting the attributes for which we want to be rated. A scale is then assigned, which is usually a discrete, odd number. In appropriate cases, a zero rating can be added for attributes that do not apply or for which the interviewee refuses to provide an opinion.
Open-ended questions. Although we have suggested reducing a satisfaction study to a minimum, it is also necessary to consider long text fields to gather spontaneous expressions from people, and these cannot be pre-coded in advance. These questions should not be too numerous, as this runs the risk of extending the capture time, increasing the percentage of responses captured with typing errors, and incurring first-response bias. For the reasons explained in this section, we propose that these types of questions be designed with restraint and as much relevance as possible.
Comparison. Most of us exposed to market research studies live in urban environments or come from one. As such, we are accustomed to consuming the same product from different suppliers. For this reason, we must consider our own and others’ experiences in shopping satisfaction studies. Without external references, any evaluation can lose its objectivity. Furthermore, by involving more brands in the study, we can discover positive aspects of the competition that we can apply to our own offerings.
Outsourcing. We have pointed out in other posts on this blog that market research should be as objective as possible. A popular adage says, “You can’t be both judge and jury.” This means that a brand that wants to understand its customers’ opinions should not use opinion-gathering tools on itself. In this scenario, interviewees often fall prey to politeness bias and assume a fairly immediate response that may be distorted by very specific circumstances at the time. A result of this reality is that satisfaction studies should be conducted by external providers to increase objectivity in capture and analysis.
We can add to the aspects listed here that customer satisfaction projects should not be considered dispensable. If this practice is used, we can empirically uncover a consumer pain point when it is already too late and the possibility of recovering the brand’s reputation is already irremediable. Satisfaction assessments should be carried out regularly over time to provide comparisons that help you modify the variables worth correcting in a timely manner.
At Acertiva, we have several projects in this field. After just over two decades of experience, we have assembled a team of analysts, interviewers, and strategic allies who are prepared to assist you in your current and future projects of this nature. Trust us to meet your customer satisfaction assessment objectives in LATAM. We also offer a free fifteen-minute consultation so you can share your concerns with us for your next research project. From there, together we can make your next success story a reality.
Short Link: