Tips for Designing an Effective Customer Satisfaction Survey for Your IT Service Desk
June 6, 2023

Customer satisfaction surveys are valuable tools for IT service desks to gather feedback, measure performance, and identify areas for improvement. However, designing an effective survey that captures relevant insights can be a challenge. In this article, we will explore key tips and best practices for designing a customer satisfaction survey that yields meaningful results for your IT service desk.
- Define Clear Objectives: Start by clearly defining the objectives of your survey. Identify the specific aspects of your IT service desk that you want to assess, such as response time, staff knowledge, communication, or self-service options. Clear objectives will help shape the structure and questions of your survey.
- Keep it Concise: In today's busy world, people have limited time and attention spans. Keep your survey concise and focused. Ask only the essential questions that align with your objectives. Aim for a reasonable completion time, preferably no more than 5-10 minutes, to encourage higher response rates.
- Use Rating Scales: Utilize rating scales, such as Likert scales, to measure customer satisfaction. This allows respondents to provide a degree of agreement or disagreement with statements. A typical scale ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 representing "strongly disagree" and 5 representing "strongly agree." Rating scales offer a quantitative measurement that simplifies analysis.
- Include Open-Ended Questions: While rating scales provide valuable quantitative data, don't overlook the importance of open-ended questions. Include a few questions that allow customers to express their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions in their own words. These responses can provide valuable qualitative insights and uncover details that ratings alone may not capture.
- Avoid Biased or Leading Questions: Ensure your questions are unbiased and neutral. Avoid leading questions that may sway respondents toward a particular answer. Keep the language clear, simple, and free of technical jargon. Make sure questions are easily understood and do not cause confusion.
- Provide a Mix of Different Question Types: To maintain respondent engagement, provide a mix of question types. Balance rating scales, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions to provide diversity and capture different perspectives. This variety helps prevent survey fatigue and encourages respondents to provide thoughtful responses.
- Test and Pilot the Survey: Before launching the survey, conduct testing and pilot surveys with a small group to identify any issues, ambiguities, or gaps. Use this opportunity to refine and improve the survey based on feedback received. This process ensures that your survey is clear, user-friendly, and capable of generating actionable insights.
- Respect Respondent Anonymity: Assure respondents that their feedback is anonymous and confidential. This will encourage honest and candid responses. Avoid collecting personally identifiable information unless absolutely necessary. Respecting respondent privacy is crucial to building trust and obtaining accurate feedback.
- Communicate the Purpose and Benefits: Clearly communicate the purpose of the survey to participants. Explain how their feedback will be used to enhance services and improve their overall experience. Highlight the benefits of participating, such as potential improvements and the opportunity to shape the future of IT services.
- Act on the Feedback: Lastly, and most importantly, demonstrate that the feedback received is valued by taking action. Analyze survey results, identify trends and areas for improvement, and develop actionable plans to address customer concerns. Communicate changes and improvements to customers to show that their voices are heard and that their feedback leads to positive outcomes.
Designing an effective customer satisfaction survey for your IT service desk requires careful consideration of objectives, question types, and respondent experience. By following these tips and best practices, you can create a survey that collects valuable insights, helps measure performance, and guides continuous improvement efforts. Remember, a well-designed survey coupled with a commitment to act upon the feedback will help your organization delight your customers.