A recent professional post asked about the value of hard-copy or online client satisfaction surveys at the end of the project to see how the firm/team performed for the client.
I believe very strongly that sending a client satisfaction survey, whether in hard copy or online format - regardless of the timing - is a great way of saying to your client, "Hi there. We didn't want to waste our valuable time calling you to have a conversation, but please take YOUR valuable time to tell us how good our work was."
I really don't think that's the message you want to send your clients. Instead, I suggest the following:
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Do the survey in the middle of the project. By this time, the client will have a good idea of how you are doing and you will still have time to fix problems before the project is over. This makes the survey more about the client and less about your need for a "grade" or reference.
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Survey in a personal visit or (at the very least) a phone call. Demonstrate how you value a client's time by contributing some of your own.
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Have a high-ranking firm officer (president, vice president, chairman, marketing director, division manager) make the visit/call. This demonstrates your real commitment to understanding the CLIENT's needs, determining if they have been fulfilled (or why they haven't been fulfilled), and where the problem was. For example, if the problem was the project manager, the client might tell the president or the marketing director, but is unlikely to tell the project manager himself. The conversation with a high-ranking officer also tells the client that if changes are necessary to fix a specific problem or an ongoing attitude, the person across the desk has the authority to make those changes.
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Have that officer be someone who is not involved in that project. The "uninvolved" person is more likely to just listen to the client and not get defensive on behalf of his team if the feedback is negative.
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If any action is taken to fix a problem, make sure the client is told what actions have been taken so that he knows you were really listening and not just "blowing smoke" to make him feel valued.
Most important, a visit is much more likely to get honest answers, extended answers, and extraneous comments that might focus you on additional problems. With hard-copy and online surveys, it is too easy for the client to just say "everything is fine" and never call you again, or just not answer some of the questions. And you won't get the behavioral clues that tell you the client is really angry about something, or just leaving something important unsaid.
Remember, your firm's officers get paid well for doing the hard or unpleasant stuff. Don't be afraid to make them earn their big bucks!