- Ray Bueno
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
Crack the Customer Code with Surveys That Work
The Grind Is Real, But Surveys Can Help
Small business life wears you out—customers come and go, leaving you wondering why they’re slipping away. Ever tried a survey to figure it out, only to get back junk? I’ve been there—it’s brutal. A bad survey’s like a busted GPS, eating your time and leading nowhere. A good one, though? That’s your golden ticket to answers that matter. Step 2 of the marketing research process—building and programming a survey—is where you win or lose. Let’s break down what makes some shine and others flop, and why you can’t just ignore this. (Missed last week’s post on starting a research project? Check it here: Choosing Your Research Approach: Qualitative vs. QuantitativeQuestions for Actionable Insights
Take my friend Sara’s dog grooming hustle. Sales were dipping, so she tossed out a quick survey: “Are you happy with our service?”—yes/no box, plus a vague “Tell us anything.” Total bust—just 10 replies, mostly “Fine” or doodles. That’s a bad survey: no focus, no meat, all noise. She switched it up—“Rate our speed, 1-5,” “What’s your top pick: cut, wash, or nails?” “What’s one fix we need?”—and bam, 50 responses rolled in. Speed averaged a shaky 3, cuts topped the list, and wet-dog stink was chasing clients off. She scrubbed harder, tweaked her lineup—boom, they came back. Good surveys deliver; bad ones waste your shot.
Here’s the Deal: Smart Surveys Win
Good surveys are built smart, bad ones are thrown together. Check this out:
Categorical Questions: Yes/no or pick-one—like “Do you book online?” Sara saw 80% did, so she juiced up her site. The dud? “Do you like us?”—too fuzzy, no path. A café I know asked, “Are we your spot?”—60% yes, but sales still sank, no fix.
Metric Questions: Scales, like “Rate cleanliness, 1-5.” Sara’s 3 average screamed scrub harder. Lame move? “How’s everything, 1-10?”—nobody gets what “everything” is. A taco joint got half 8s, half 2s—no help there.
Open-Ended Questions: Free rants, like “What’s your dream groom?” Sara got “less smell, more fluff”—gold she’d never guess. The trap? “Tell us all!”—folks freeze or ramble. A barber got “Hair’s fine, life’s been wild lately”—means nothing for him.
Flow That Clicks: Start wide—“Ever used us?”—then zoom in—“Rate wait time, 1-5”—end loose—“What’d we miss?” Sara’s good survey ran smooth, five minutes tops. Her bad one paired yes/no with “Tell us anything”—too vague, and folks checked out. Test it, tweak it—keep it rolling.
No Junk Questions: Bad surveys toss out dumb stuff—“Love our vibe and price?”—two ideas mashed up, answers useless. Good ones hit one note—Sara’s “Speed, 1-5” worked; “Speed and smell?” would’ve bombed.
“Bad surveys fake you out; good ones save you.”
Why It’s a Big Deal
A bad survey isn’t just empty—it tricks you. Picture a coffee shop gig. Asked, “Are we cool?”—90% said yes. Felt great ‘til sales kept sliding. Reworked it: “Price okay, 1-5?” (4s), “Top drink?” (latte), “One change?” (Wi-Fi’s slow). Truth smacked hard—price was fine, Wi-Fi stunk. Fixed it—boom, tables full of Cuban coffee fans. Bad surveys mislead; good ones pull you through.
Need more convincing? A bakery down the road tried “How’s the vibe?”—got 20 lame “It’s chill” answers. Swapped it for “Rate freshness, 1-5” (3s), “Pick one: cake, bread, cookies” (bread took it), “What’s off?” (stale cakes). Dumped the old stuff, leaned hard into bread—sales shot up. Then my gym buddy goes, “Are we fun?”—bunch of pointless yeses. Tried “Rate gear, 1-5,” “What’s missing?”—yoga popped up, threw it in, mats got crowded quick. Bad surveys waste your hours; good ones turn it around.
How You Pull It Off
Pick the Right Mix: Here’s the deal—start with yes/no to figure ‘em out, like “Shop here much?” then dig in with scales—“Rate our speed, 1-5?”—and throw in “What’s missing?” for some curveballs. Gets you everything you need, no junk in the way.
Program It Tight: Slap it into Google Forms, five minutes flat—big stuff first, then narrow it down. Run it by a buddy—if they’re lost, tweak it quick.
Examples That Work: Gotta keep it snappy. Look at Sara’s “Speed, 1-5”—nabbed a snag; that coffee shop’s Wi-Fi fix turned it around; bakery’s “Freshness” brought bread back; gym’s “Yoga plea” packed those mats.
Don’t Sleep on This
Small biz warriors, don’t snooze—a bad survey’s a cash killer, wiping out time, effort, hope. A good one’s your secret edge—spills what’s broke, what’s hot, what’s coming. Sales dipping? Nobody talking? Make it solid—quick questions, nothing clunky, real talk answers. Sara’s grooming gig’s rocking now, that Cuban coffee spot’s alive—your turn’s up. Get the laptop going, throw a survey together, see what it turns up.
