Surveys – Consumers Opinion or Verdict?

This is an attempt to find the meaning, relevance, types, and methodology of surveys in consumer industry with especial emphasis on online surveys. Some advantages and disadvantages to the customer are also listed.

Surveys is a method to obtain Consumers Opinion., covering one or more aspects of the product or services.

Surveys prior to launch of the product or services help to gauge the market trends and preferences and post-launch survey identifies the level of acceptability of product and so that ways and means could be found for improving their market presence.

As all views, comments, opinions, reaction, suggestions or information of “consumers’ verdict” as are factual and hence needed to be fully evaluated before survey results are finalized. Surveys contribute immensely to market research. For example (an X brand air conditioner was super in performance and price compared to other brands in the market but it was not in demand. Survey revealed the consumers’ choice and a lighter model introduced later was a runaway success.

Opinion Polls, Popularity surveys, product Surveys, Population Surveys, telephonic leads for personal or home loans etc. come under the term survey. These are conducted either online or off line. However, or focus is son online surveys. Online surveys are either web or email based. Web based survey will be of greater advantage over other forms of online Surveys.

Before commencement, a survey format is designed by the research team to include all the points intended to be surveyed. Simple and direct questions will evoke genuine response. Lengthy, leading, offensive or too personal questions should be avoided. Then competent and well trained team or teams are chosen to conduct the surveys smoothly and on time. . Time and topicality are interred connected to the subject and ongoing events in many surveys viz. opinion poll before scheduled elections or players popularity at a given time.

With the advent of computer era and revolution of Internet, Online surveys are most preferred as it involves no personal contacts or any appointment or time or place. The customer can respond to online surveys sitting at home or from place they happened to be present. Often the surveys begin after the contacted person agrees to be surveyed and all the questions are to be answered online in the designed format. It takes about 7 to 10 minutes in general and you get some rewards.

Advantages

To Customers:

1. Opportunity to express their views or opinion on a product or service.

2. Product betterment and price cuts

3. Costumers Glory and awareness

4. Boost to Consumer movement

5. Gifts and prizes

To Business:

1. Identification of market presence

2. Important clues to improve their product and market share

3. Customer data base

4. Publicity and advertisement

Disadvantages:

To Customers

1. Frequent disturbance

2. A farce or rigged survey

3. A disguised sales campaign

4. Misuse of consumers responses for other purposes

5. Possible leakage of Contact details

6. Scam or hoax surveys

To Business:



1. Costly

2. Distorted or inconclusive or fragmented results

3. High pitch demand or expectation from Consumers

4. Vulnerable to exploitation of product weakness by competitors

5. Wary consumers and frequent shift in options