eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

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Objective

The objective of this Master’s thesis project was to provide comprehensive suggestions that need to be thought over when constructing and distributing web surveys to collect international customer satisfaction information in a B2B environment.

Research methods

The literature review was conducted on a particular set of topics pertaining to the research question. From the knowledge and insight drawn from the literature review, a framework was constructed. The framework was then tested with three open-ended interviews of qualitative nature.

Findings

The four different components linking with the research question are the choice of customer satisfaction survey method, survey template, survey distribution, and survey results. The survey method in itself is linked with the corporate objectives set for the survey process. It defines what the web survey is essentially used for, and what approach the overall template structure will possibly follow.

The survey template considerations are linked with the survey method chosen, and provide the actual composition of the survey items. The survey template needs to consist of simple and precise questions, which leave little room for interpretation as well as are easily understandable.

The third component in the web survey process, the actual distribution of the survey, offers many benefits to companies using it. The most crucial element in distributing and marketing effectively the survey to recipients is the cover letter. The cover letter needs to be written clearly, with personal touches, and in a short manner when it is sent out. The cover letter is an integral component in distinguishing the survey to the recipient base. Once the survey has been distributed, the results need to be analyzed.

Customer satisfaction information needs to be used in ways that recognize its potential. Since the entire process centres on obtaining useable results that can then be analyzed into report form for management. These results should be compiled into a separate database that will help organisations to make quantitative measurements that will help to minimize the effect of personal interpretation. Once the results have been analyzed, the process starts over, adding to continuous process improvement.