Business for you may be great, good, fair, poor or just plain awful. In any case, you feel there’s a great deal of money left on the table when you work with a customer or client, and you want to know how to approach getting your share while maintaining good customer relations at the same time.

Most consultants will recommend that you start by doing a customer survey to discover the facts. The problem with this is defining what a customer survey should contain. Should it be focused on product, service, price or something else? You could hire a research & polling firm specializing in surveys, but the problem of exactly what you want to discover and how to ask the best or ‘right’ question is still there.

Customer surveys usually end up projecting what the customer thinks you want to hear. They seldom bear any relation to the real problems. When a customer tells you they would do business with you if only you'd lower your prices, you can be sure there are a number of other problems you are not even hearing! Often the price is the last thing that’s bothering the customer! Using the standard survey questions can leave you with more questions than answers. Here are a few techniques you might use to discover the real problems facing you.

TELEPHONE
The absolute best method of surveying a customer is a face-to-face meeting. The next best is the telephone survey direct from you to the person making decisions on the other end. One method of determining who to survey is to select a week, month or quarter as a time period, then call every single person who purchased anything during that period. Design a checklist and have it handy so you can find answers in the following areas.

PRODUCT
Did the customer find the exact product they wished to purchase? If not, was there an acceptable substitute? Were they given a reason for the substitute? Was there enough product to meet their needs? Were alternatives suggested that would save time or money for the purchaser? If the purchase was made in person, was the product attractively displayed? Was it easy to compare brands? Was the offer to compare brands made?

Note: Questions similar to these will discover whether your firm is meeting the material needs of your customers. Customer will start shopping elsewhere if you don't provide key merchandise and acceptable alternatives.

SERVICE
Was the specific service requested available? If available, was it scheduled to meet the customer's needs or to fit your needs? Was it performed at the agreed-upon time and/or place? Was the job completed in the requested timeframe? If needed, were supplies and parts provided in a timely manner?

Note: It is no longer satisfactory to just provide a service; you must meet the needs and demands of your customers. Most firms and individuals are willing to pay more for quality service delivered in their timeframe. The question is: “Will your firm be the one to supply this fast-vanishing commodity or will your customer look elsewhere?”

ATTITUDE
You cannot get away with a perfunctory or curt attitude with old customers, much less new! People want to be cheerfully greeted with your name, a smile, and an offer to serve. Questions you might ask include: “Were you greeted with the name of the person talking with you, a smile, and an offer to serve you? Was the greeting cheerful? Were your needs understood and promptly met? Were you apprised of alternatives even if you didn’t ask? Were you pleased with the treatment you received?”

Note: These types of questions are designed to point out poor customer relations, often the main reason customers leave never to return. If you discover challenges in this area, consider an outside firm to diagnose your problems and help you institute corrective measures.

LOCATION
Neighborhoods change … sometimes for the worse. The people you serve also change. Ask your customers if they feel your store is located in a safe, accessible place. Ask if parking was available. Ask if they consider your location as being ‘safe’. Finally, for new customers, ask if you were easy to find.

Note: If your business is located in a perceived high crime area, you may lose early morning or late evening business. Are you located near the center of your customer base or are you out in the ‘boonies’? If you have to stay, consider lighted parking lots or attendants.

AMBIENCE
This refers to how the customer ‘feels’ when they do business with you. Are there things that bother them that are not quantifiable? Maybe they say, “Well, when I come into your store it just seems you guys pounce on me before I close the door.” Questions in this area should be focused on these ‘feelings’. For example, ask whether the customer feels like his business is really appreciated or whether he is treated as just another customer.

Note: Questions in this area may be the most important of all, so ask them last. You are trying to uncover facts and feelings that may have been there for years. If there are alternatives to your product or service, your customer doesn't have to (and may not want to) do business with you any longer. If you discover these problems, it's time for an in-person visit from you to see if you can somehow turn the situation around.