IT Customer Satisfaction
One of the best, if not the best, barometers of how a Service Environment is doing is measuring how your customers (internal or external) feel about the service they receive.
However, it is important to ask the right questions in the right way. Otherwise, you'll get the wrong results.
Surveys
Surveys are a great place to start, but they require consideration before sending out surveys to everyone.
Firstly, identify what you are interested in measuring. Of course, this can change over time, but is it a measurement of a specific technology or part of the service, or is it more of a general opinion of the team's handling of issues?
What are you measuring?
How frequently do you want to measure it? After each incident or request, or every 5th one, or on a schedule (e.g. once a quarter)
What will you do with the results?
Tools
It may well be that your ITSM or Help Desk tool allows you to collect customer satisfaction in an automated manner, for example, on the closure of each incident or at a random frequency.
If not, many options exist, from SurveyMonkey, Google Forms to FormAssembly.
No best answer fits everyone, but whatever is selected should be able to tie the survey result back to the original incident if possible.
Keep it short and focused to increase response rates.
Nobody wants to answer surveys with multiple pages of questions unless there is a reward.
If it is upon closure of an incident or request, then ask just a few questions that take no more than a few clicks on a single screen to respond to.
If it is on a schedule (e.g. quarterly), aim for a survey that takes no more than 3-5 minutes to complete.
Beware of survey fatigue.
I recommend against emailing a questionnaire upon each incident closure and reducing the likelihood of survey fatigue. One of two types of response will be received; those that are pleased and those that are upset.
You can send them out on a random pattern, for example, every 10th incident, but make sure the help desk can't pick up on the trend because then they'll know which incidents are being used to measure satisfaction. We want outstanding performance every time, not just when they think they are being monitored.
Use a mix of question types.
For example, include a combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather quantitative and qualitative data.
Use clear and concise language.
Make sure your questions are easy to understand, and avoid using jargon or overly technical terms.
Ask one question at a time.
Avoid asking multiple questions in one statement, which can lead to confusion and inaccurate responses.
The Importance Of Linking Results To Incidents
If possible, it is recommended that when the questionnaire is sent out, it can be tied back to the original contact (ticket or incident number); this will allow you to spin the data in many dimensions that might otherwise be impossible. For example;
The category/service for which an incident was logged
The team that handled the request
The analyst that communicated with the customer
The method of communication (website, email/phone, etc.)
The following diagram illustrates how survey results can be tied back to incidents, customers and other data from an Incident Reference Number when you run reports.
KPIs & Metrics for Measuring Customer Satisfaction
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
NPS is a popular customer satisfaction and loyalty metric. It asks customers to rate on a scale of 0-10 how likely they are to recommend your service to others. Customers are then categorized as promoters (9-10), passives (7-8), or detractors (0-6). The NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.
First Contact Resolution (FCR)
FCR measures the percentage of support tickets resolved during the first contact with the help desk. A higher FCR indicates that customers are getting their issues resolved quickly and efficiently, leading to greater satisfaction.
Average Resolution Time
Tracking the average time to resolve support tickets can help gauge customer satisfaction. Faster resolution times generally indicate higher satisfaction levels, as customers are less likely to be frustrated by long waits.
Customer Retention Rate: Monitoring the percentage of customers who continue to use your services over time can provide insights into overall satisfaction. High customer retention rates suggest that customers are generally satisfied with the support they receive.
Customer Churn Rate: This metric measures the percentage of customers who stop using your services during a specific period. A high churn rate may indicate dissatisfaction with the help desk support.
Social Media and Online Reviews: Monitor social media platforms and online review sites to gather customer feedback and assess satisfaction levels. Respond to comments and reviews to show that you value customer opinions and are actively working to address concerns.
Internal Quality Assurance: Conduct regular internal evaluations of help desk interactions, such as reviewing support ticket responses and call recordings, to ensure that agents provide high-quality support and adhere to established processes.
Regular Customer Interviews or Focus Groups: Conducting in-depth interviews or focus groups with a representative sample of customers can provide valuable qualitative insights into their satisfaction levels and help identify areas for improvement.
Customer Satisfaction Maturity Model
Level | Maturity | Key Indicators |
1 | Ad-hoc |
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2 | Basic | Basic customer satisfaction measurement tools.
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3 | Structure |
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4 | Managed |
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5 | Optimised |
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