Electronic Systems Consultants: Making Data-Driven Decisions

Surveying Client Satisfaction

Most mature businesses in other industries survey their customers.

So, why can't a custom installation firm? ESC does exactly that.

The company conducts customer satisfaction surveys every quarter and routinely achieves a performance-approval rating over 90 percent.

Upon completion of the job, clients receive a survey with their move-in packet. Later, surveys are sent quarterly with service invoices. The company tries to ask the same question multiple ways.

For example, it asks questions like:

- How would you rate your satisfaction with ESC as a whole? Very good, good, fair, poor or terrible?

- Please rate your experience with ESC as a whole while your system was being built? Very good, good, fair, poor or terrible?

- When you contacted ESC for service, rate your initial experience. Very good, good, fair, poor or terrible?

- When ESC dispatched someone to your house for repair, how many visits did it take to get fixed?

- How did you feel about your overall satisfaction with ESC's service? Very good, good, fair, poor or terrible?

Executives use the information during quarterly management meetings, quarterly executive meetings and quarterly all-staff meetings, during which they analyze upward or downward trends and the factors that led to any deviations.

Clients aren't the only ones surveyed. ESC employees are surveyed, too. Annual employee surveys are issued and analyzed to gather data used in planning and to ensure that the goal of making ESC a great place to work is being pursued.

"It's all about making data-driven decisions," Fogel says.

Daniels agrees, saying that he is consistently looking at the level of demand and the competitive landscape over one, five and 10 years in the future.

"I am not a conspiracy theorist. I do not see a sea change for the custom channel on the horizon. We think we can continue to grow and be profitable in the range of 10 percent to 20 percent per year.

"All of our metrics will dictate how fast we grow. Most dealers outstrip their resources annually, but that only works for one or two years. Our approach is very analytical."