Receive a free subscription to this quarterly e-mail newsletter
Evaluation Questionnaire can help keep customers and improve communications
We are probably not the first to stumble onto the fact that good communications is at the core of any good client relationship. As a marketing communications agency, we particularly need our clients to be partners in the programs we mutually agree to implement, but virtually all businesses can benefit from improving communications between themselves and their customers. The question: how, in a practical day-to-day sense, can you really make meaningful steps in that direction?
One way is with a regular evaluation of how things are going. At Ripley-Woodbury we schedule meetings with our clients as often a quarterly to go over what we call our Agency Service Questionnaire. This is a relatively short form which generally takes only a few moments to fill out. It asks clients to rate on a 1-5 scale how strongly they agree or disagree with a series of 29 statements... but some of those statements are really loaded:
You keep your promises on deadlines
You listen well to what we have to say
You show creativity in your proposed solutions
You are helpful in redefining our view of our situation
You have a good understanding of our business
If we've missed a couple deadlines, maybe had some costs overruns or been a little slow on the uptake with a particular client, we know this is where it will come out. And knowing that we are going to have an evaluation meeting with each of our clients give us, shall we say, a little extra incentive to make sure we're getting good marks in all areas.
It's been said the best business relationships are personal and like personal relationships, sometimes you need to talk about the relationship itself. We find our Agency Service Questionnaire is a good way to get the conversation started and once you're over that hump, you can really start making things better. When your customers know you really care and are honestly intent on improving your service to them, they tend to stay with you... for the long haul.
If you're interested, we'd be happy to share of copy of our Agency Service Questionnaire with you. Just call us at 562/860-7336, or email a request to Ripley-Woodbury Info.
Marketing Strategy | Advertising | Public Relations | Web Development
1124 Main Street, Ste. B, Irvine, CA 92614
ph: (949) 251-0704 | fax :(949) 251-0806 | www.rwmarketing.com
Ripley-Woodbury Info
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday, Pacific Time
© 1997 by Ripley-Woodbury Marketing Communications, all rights reserved.