Since this is our annual customer satisfaction issue, I thought it might be timely to talk about an aspect of customer satisfaction that's key to successful research but one that doesn't always get the coverage it deserves: client satisfaction with research companies. While I can't give you figures on the levels of client happiness with research providers, I do have some information on what clients look for in a research firm, courtesy of Market Directions, a Kansas City, Mo., research firm.

As a way to test a research technique and also to keep its name top of mind with current and prospective clients ("marketing" after all, is part of marketing research), Market Directions sent out check surveys which asked clients to rate the importance of several statements about research companies, such as, "The research company is ...

  • honest with me
  • cares about my business
  • has good marketing consultants
  • a nationally known company
  • flexible in meeting my needs.

Check surveys are actual checks (usually in the amount of a dollar or two) that are attached to a survey form containing a short explanation and a handful of questions. Respondents write their answers on the back of the check, detach it and cash it like any other check. After the bank processes the checks, you've got your survey forms back.

Market Directions received 30 responses from researchers in a wide range of industries, resulting in the following top 10 list.

Marketers want to work with a research firm that:

1. Maintains client confidentiality

2. Is honest

3. Is punctual

4. Is flexible

5. Delivers against project specifications

6. Provides high quality output

7. Is responsive to the client's needs

8. Has high quality-control standards

9. Is customer oriented in interactions with client

10. Keeps the client informed throughout a project.

Close relationships

The importance of confidentiality will only increase if the trend of outsourcing continues. As marketers pare or eliminate their own research departments they are forced to enter into exceedingly close relationships with their research providers, often to the point of having research company staff on-site several days a week. To keep the relationship healthy, research firms must keep integrity and confidentiality as their bywords.

The survey also showed that companies want honesty from their research providers, specifically in terms of capabilities and limitations. "It's crucial for research companies to know when they are not suited for a prospective assignment and to only take on what they can readily deliver," says Susan Spaulding, president and CEO of Market Directions. "Being honest with the client is imperative. If your company cannot be flexible with a client's changing needs, or if a deadline is going to be missed, the
client needs to be informed quickly, with a resolution offered."

There is no room for "nice to know" research, Spaulding says. "Every question in every study must be actionable today. Research companies must aggressively pursue and deliver high quality. Additionally, they must gather and process the information at Mach speed without affecting its integrity."

Learn about clients' businesses

The findings show that research companies must take the time to learn about their clients' businesses. The more they know, the better they can answer questions for their client and help them achieve success. When the client succeeds, so does the research firm. And success breeds satisfaction- for marketers and their research providers.