The API Spec Q2 standard requires that service supply organizations monitor customer satisfaction.  Specifically, Section 6.2.1 states:
 
“The organization shall maintain a documented procedure to monitor customer satisfaction. The procedure shall address customer feedback, key performance indicators (KPIs), and other information that the organization monitors to determine whether the organization has met customer requirements. Records of the results of customer satisfaction information shall be maintained.”
 
With this in mind, here are five best practices to consider when creating your satisfaction survey:

• Define the goal:

          A clearly focused survey will aid in the capture of information that can be acted
          on and analyzed.

• Keep it short:

          When the questionnaire is too long or complex, participation will drop off
          exponentially.

• Avoid leading questions:

          The quality of the responses will depend on the quality of your questions.

• Measure what matters:

          Strive for actionable feedback that drives your continual improvement efforts.

• Segment your results:

           Overall scores may look good when averaged; however segmenting scores the data
           into groups with similar characteristics will highlight trends that may not otherwise
           be apparent.

Understand that to effectively measure customer satisfaction, you must evaluate more than whether the customer is satisfied.  Best practice dictates that we evaluate the satisfaction level throughout the interaction process and, more importantly that we survey appropriate personnel that have first-hand knowledge of our performance.  Remember that the ultimate goal of measuring customer satisfaction is to facilitate customer retention and referrals, leading to long term growth. 
 
For more information on how Accupoint can help you streamline your Customer Satisfaction process, pleasecall us tool free at 800.563.6250.

When it comes to quality management standards, complying with the latest revisions is key. A big change is underfoot in the standards world, with the release of the new ISO 9001 standard. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reviews all standards every five years to ensure they are up-to-date and comparable with the modern market, and since the latest ISO 9001 was released in 2008, a revision has been long-awaited.

However, there is no need to fret about a complete overhaul of your system; the 2015 update is just that - an update. The ISO reports that the main change with the new standard is a restructuring

"to make it easier to use in conjunction with other management system standards, with increased importance given to risk."

If your business is registered to the 2008 version of ISO 9001, you have a three year span to update your quality management system to the 2015 version. The new standard was just released in September of this year, meaning that you have until September of 2018 to fully integrate it into your quality management protocols. However, as with anything safety and quality related, it is better to update to this revised standard sooner rather than later.

More information on the new ISO 9001 standard can be found on the ISO's website, where you can watch a quick video outlining the main changes within the new standard.

If you have any questions on ISO 9001:2015 and how Accupoint can help you meet the new requirements, please contact us at 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com.