Learn how professional survey design eliminates biases, boosts response rates, and provides insights to improve your dealership's customer experience.
Customer surveys should highlight what’s working and what needs fixing at your dealership. But too often, they fall short—low responses, unclear feedback, and data that doesn’t move the needle.
If your surveys aren’t driving better decisions or improving the customer experience, are they really worth your time? Or your customers?
The problem with surveys often lies in the design. Poorly structured surveys result in incomplete, vague, or even biased responses. The fix? Professional support to ensure your surveys capture the actionable insights your dealership needs.
In this post, we’ll cover best practices for survey design, common mistakes dealerships make, and how expert survey creation can transform your data into meaningful, actionable improvements.
Creating a survey that works isn’t as easy as it seems. Here’s why outsourcing makes sense:
Unintentional bias can easily sneak into your surveys. Questions may subtly push respondents toward certain answers, leaving you with skewed data. Third-party professionals can design clear, neutral, and unbiased questions, ensuring you get accurate insights without any hidden bias. No fluff, just the insights you need to improve.
Biased Question: “Considering our dealership's long-standing reputation for excellent service, how would you rate your recent experience?"
The phrase “Long-standing reputation for excellent service" nudges the respondent toward a positive answer. It introduces a positive expectation before they even consider their own experience. It puts the idea in their head that it's expected to be good, and is therefore biased.
Unbiased Question: “Do you have any suggestions for how we can improve the experience of having your car serviced?”
This question is neutral and allows the respondent to provide their true opinion without feeling pressured to give a particular answer. The free text response offers a range of options for a more detailed and useful response.
Survey experts know the automotive industry inside and out and will tailor questions to fit your dealership's needs. They will focus on areas like service department efficiency, sales processes, and overall customer experience. Their expertise ensures your survey addresses the right pain points, allowing you to make targeted improvements.
More accurate data leads to smarter decisions. Whether it’s tweaking your service process or improving sales techniques, you’ll know what to prioritize.
Industry Relevant Question: “On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is 'Very Poor' and 5 is 'Excellent', how would you rate the quality of care shown by the staff at [LOCATION]?”
Professionally crafted surveys are optimized to encourage more responses. From using the right question formats to offering a logical flow, surveys are designed to keep participants engaged. This means more responses and better data quality to fuel your decisions.
Must-have components of a well-crafted survey include:
Widewail Pulse uses a mixture of question types to ensure your dealership collects well-rounded and thorough feedback. Types of questions include:
Yes/No: “Do you feel that the cost of the service was reasonable based on the quality and experience provided?”
Free Text: “What suggestions do you have for us to improve our customer service?”
1-5: “On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is 'Very Poor' and 5 is 'Excellent,” how would you rate the knowledgeability of staff at [LOCATION]?”
NPS: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely is it that you would recommend [LOCATION] to a friend or colleague?”
Outsourcing surveys also brings technology to the table, taking your surveys beyond basic customer feedback forms with:
Outsourcing your survey design doesn’t just clean up your data—it drives real, measurable results for your dealership.
Smarter product and service development starts with accurate customer insights: if your surveys reveal ongoing complaints about maintenance timing, you can respond with flexible service hours or a pick-up/drop-off service, addressing real customer pain points.
In customer service, pinpointing where your team falls short—whether it's communication, wait times, or problem resolution—allows you to fix gaps quickly. This leads to a better customer experience, more positive reviews, and valuable word-of-mouth referrals.
Effective marketing comes from understanding your customers' needs. Let’s say your surveys show customers love your service but feel disconnected during the sales process. With that feedback, you can focus your marketing on what works and refine what doesn’t, driving more engagement.
In short, by addressing specific pain points, you create happier customers who stick around for the long term. It’s a cycle of continuous improvement that boosts sales, retention, and overall growth.
If your surveys aren’t giving you the insights you need, it’s time for a revamp. Professional survey assistance ensures you collect accurate, unbiased data that you can actually use. That means smarter decisions, better customer experiences, and ultimately, long-term success for your dealership. Don’t leave it to chance—outsource your surveys and start getting real results.
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