How To Make a SurvEy Your Customers Won’t Hate

Jul 31

Inc.com has a new article about trends in gathering feedback from customers. We don’t always think of our congregations as customers, but in many ways, that’s who they are. How can we interpret this very business-driven advice for our church work? Here are a few ideas.

Survey Fatigue: Over-surveying leads to high levels of dissatisfaction and abandonment, with customers discontinuing patronage due to excessive feedback requests.

☕ Tip: Be mindful of survey frequency to avoid overwhelming congregants. Too many surveys can lead to disengagement — the last thing we want is for people to avoid engaging with the church staff because they’re afraid of being asked to fill out a form. Balance the need for feedback with the community’s capacity to provide it (and your capacity to respond to it!). Send surveys at strategic times, such as annually or semi-annually, and after major events or programs. This approach respects the congregants’ time while still gathering essential feedback.
Keep Surveys Concise & Specific: Short, targeted questions yield better responses and actionable insights.

☕ Tip: Design brief surveys with focused questions on specific topics, such as communication channels, event planning, or volunteer experiences. This encourages higher response rates and provides clear, actionable data. Craft questions that address specific aspects of church life, such as worship preferences, community needs, and satisfaction with current programs. Avoid broad or vague questions that may not yield useful information.
Leverage Technology: Use AI to predict customer preferences and build personas, enhancing personalization.

☕ Tip: While advanced AI may not be necessary, utilizing tools to both generate survey questions as well as analyze that data can help track trends and preferences within the congregation. This might look like feeding every open-ended survey response into ChatGPT and asking for three different interpretations of that feedback.

☕ Sample Survey Questions: These questions aim to understand the congregation's communication habits and preferences in their daily lives, helping the church tailor its communication strategies to align with those preferences.

How effective do you find our email communications in keeping you informed about church events and updates? (1-Not Effective, 5-Very Effective)
Do you feel the frequency of our communications is: (Too frequent, Just right, Not frequent enough)
If you could choose one primary channel for receiving all church communications, which would it be? (Email, Text, Flyers, Social Media, Etc.)
How do you prefer to receive important notifications or reminders in general? (Email, Text, Push Notifications, Social Media, Phone Calls)
How often do you check your email? (Multiple times a day, Once a day, A few times a week, Rarely)
How do you feel about receiving text messages for important updates and reminders? (Prefer it, Neutral, Dislike it)
How frequently do you interact with organizations or groups you are interested in on social media? (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely)
What type of content do you prefer to receive from organizations? (Text-Based Updates, Visual Content (images, videos), Links to Articles, Event Invitations)

Interpreting business-driven survey strategies to the non-profit and church context involves respecting the unique dynamics of congregational life. By reducing survey frequency, keeping questions concise and specific, and leveraging affordable technology, churches can gather valuable feedback without overwhelming their members. This approach ensures that feedback is both meaningful and actionable, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of church programs and fostering a more engaged and satisfied congregation.