Editor’s note: Shahron Williams van Rooij is manager, strategic alliances and opportunities, at Datatel, Inc., a Fairfax, Va.-based developer of advanced information technology solutions for the higher education market.
Many technology companies use satisfaction research to obtain feedback on customer perceptions of product and service performance. But in an industry crowded with vendors whose fortunes can move with the predictability of the weather, the ability to develop a repeatable process that will yield actionable results often suffers under the constraints of time and limited resources.
To keep ahead of the competition requires a commitment to anticipate customer needs, not just respond to problems. The customer satisfaction research process offers an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that commitment.
How can technology vendors develop a more proactive research process and still remain within the boundaries of their financial and human resources? There is no substitute for solid research designed in partnership with a market research company and with internal and external constituents. In achieving this, however, here are some specific opportunities to consider:
The vendor can also float questions on the list serv in order to "pre-search" the mindset of the customer and obtain guidance for developing the satisfaction survey questionnaire. By using a mechanism that is already in place and which customers use on a regular basis, the vendor can assist the market research company in fleshing out the specific aspects of product and service that customers really care about. Measuring key performance indicators as defined by the customer allows the vendor to target resources to specific needs.
This communication chain also extends to the vendor’s internal constituents who, in turn, should share the information with their staff.
Most companies s...