How have cardholders been feeling about the program? Their opinions and needs might have changed a bit since the pandemic started. One way to find out is by conducting a cardholder survey. I had some emails recently with a card program manager who admitted to feeling more annoyed lately by some cardholders and their recurring questions. She surmised that, as remote working continues and she no longer has casual non-business chit chat with people, she is less tolerant of their “quirks.” I asked if anyone had noticed the shift in her disposition and she didn’t know. This led to a dialogue about surveys and the role they can play in making your internal customers happy and keeping your program on track. Following are five key steps to help you with the process. Watch for another post later this month that will offer sample survey questions.

1. Survey Planning

At the start, answer questions such as:

• Why do you want to do a survey? What is the purpose? What will it help you do or, conversely, prevent you from doing? Sometimes results reveal that everything is working well as-is. A common reason to conduct a survey is to identify participants’ satisfaction with one or more aspects of the program, including the customer service provided by the program administrator/manager.

• Who is the targeted audience? Different audiences might require different survey questions.

• Should you offer an incentive to entice responses? For example, there could be a drawing for a gift card.

• What will you do with the results? The answer should not be “nothing.”

• Will some or all results be shared and, if so, with whom?

2. Survey Creation

• What types of questions will help you fulfill the identified purpose of the survey? Multiple choice questions can work well for analysis purposes, but be sure that the answer options do not force an answer that does not fit. Also, at least one open-ended question can capture good feedback if respondents are willing to share. See sample survey questions.

• Try to focus on a limited number of questions that will give you the most value. If the survey takes longer than 10 minutes to take, it might not generate the desired response level.

• Does your organization already have an electronic survey tool that you could use for this task? If not, a quick Internet search reveals many options to consider.

• Would a small group of cardholders be willing to take the survey in an effort to test it out before you release to everyone?

3. Survey Release

Be sure to communicate to the targeted audience:

• The purpose of the survey, the timeline, and the estimated time it takes to complete

• Whether the responses can or will be anonymous

• What will be done with the survey results; they might be more inclined to participate if they feel they can instigate change or make a difference

4. Response Analysis

While it can be tempting to analyze and filter responses every which way, continue to focus on what will support your goal(s) for the survey. Take advantage of any available reporting/graphs built into the electronic survey tool, so you do not have to start from scratch. Develop a summary of the results that can easily be reviewed by others.

5. Taking Action

Determine the changes, if any, that should occur within the program, based on the survey results. Do not feel compelled to make a change simply because one or two people suggested something. However, even just one suggestion by one person might be worth exploring. Regardless, follow up with the targeted audience (including non-participants), sharing what will or will not happen now, based on respondents’ feedback. They need to know their input was heard.

Related Resources

Visit the Training and Communications page for resources pertaining to cardholder training, manager training, ways to communicate beyond email, and more.

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About the Author

Blog post author Lynn Larson, CPCP, launched Recharged Education in 2014. With 20 years of Commercial Card experience, her mission is to make industry education readily accessible to all. Learn more…