Customer satisfaction?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Bonnie Granat wondered: <<Would it be a good idea for a freelancer to 
conduct follow-up with customers on their satisfaction with the 
services they received?>>

Very much so. In fact, it's largely a matter of survival--a 
dissatisfied client won't necessarily complain, but may instead quietly 
drop you from their list of contractors.

<<If so, would a quick, three-question survey in e-mail be sufficient?>>

Nope. Surveys are things most of us are quite happy to ignore. In my 
experience, a phone call or face to face discussion can be more 
effective because it's open-ended and gives you a chance to respond 
immediately to a client's concerns. The downside is that many people 
are uncomfortable providing criticism, whether constructive or not. 
That being the case, if you did go with a survey, it might be done more 
effectively if you provide a means of anonymity.

In practice, it's most effective to monitor client satisfaction _as you 
work_, not afterwards, so you can ensure from day 1 that you're meeting 
their needs and can swiftly change what you're doing if anything about 
your work is inadequate. This way, you _know_ that your customer is 
satisfied at the end of the project, and don't have to follow up. 
Better still, it makes the client see your relationship as 
collaborative and interactive, rather than unilateral, and that gives 
them the confidence to tell you what's good and bad about your work.

Even if you adopt that second approach, it's still appropriate to call 
back or write a week or so after delivery of the final product to 
confirm that all is well, and offer your help to fix any last-minute 
details. This provides clients with considerable reassurance that 
you're going to be there for them even after they've paid, and will go 
out of your way to ensure their satisfaction.

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca