And the Survey Says…

Published on November 2, 2003

Stop trying to guess what your customers want and just ask them. Surveys are the best means available to gain a true picture of your customer’s needs, wants and expectations. Caution: Be sure your questions are clear and you truly understand your customer’s answers.
Case Study: When Hertz surveyed their customers, they heard the message loud and clear that their customers wanted to speed up the time it takes to go from the return counter to the departure gate at the airport. In response, Hertz increased the frequency of their bus runs. However, they found their customers were still not satisfied with the speed. They realized one of the bottlenecks in the return cycle resided in the transaction time of having to wait in line to return the car. Hence a new service was added: Remote computer terminals that allow attendants in the parking lot to check in the car and print receipts on demand. Results: No more waiting in lines, faster service and speedier returns to the gate. Once Hertz knew exactly where their customers were coming from (no pun intended) they were able to develop a new industry standard for speedy airport car returns.

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