When should you conduct a survey?
by Barry Morgan on 08/21/13
The best time... no, the only time to conduct a survey is when you are prepared to act on the results. Surveys which do not lead to action dash the expectations they invariably create. When a survey is conducted, your participants make an effort to provide a response. This effort deserves that something be done as a result of what is learned.
Determining what actions you plan to take in response what you will learn, prior to developing the survey, helps ensure that the questions you ask get you the information you need.
If your business is seasonal, be sure to time your surveys so that you will have enough time to meet the expectations of your participants. Mid-season surveys offer an opportunity to address issues prior to the end of the season. End of season reviews provide an opportunity to develop strategies prior to the start of the next season. Early season reviews highlight deficiencies in training, or service that can quickly be addressed.
When the survey is ready for release, properly timing the release and reminders can improve the response and completion rate. Studies by SurveyGizmo indicate that Tuesday surveys tend to get the highest response rate, but that more surveys are completed on Fridays.
