| I recently launched a FAQ campaign on IVR | | | | and wants of the employees. Needless to say, |
| Surveys, inviting existing clients and anyone | | | | the 10% response was not what they expected, |
| who wanted to participate to submit their | | | | and certainly was not representative of their |
| questions regarding IVR Surveys. Surprisingly | | | | employee base; therefore it was of little use |
| enough the most popular question was, How can | | | | in planning their benefits strategy change. |
| I increase my survey response rates when | | | | They were very disappointed, I would be. The |
| using IVR? I would like share a client story | | | | first reaction, by the clients project team, |
| with you that will help answer this question. | | | | was "Our employees don 't use IVR ", and this |
| I was recently consulting with a healthcare | | | | is why so few responded. Our client called us |
| benefits group who is a client of our IVR | | | | immediately to ask for our opinion, and what |
| outsourcing services, we develop and host | | | | could be done. Of course, as soon I heard |
| about a dozen surveys per year for them. They | | | | where the invitation was inserted; basic |
| were experiencing a 10% response rate on a | | | | marketing 101 told me where the problem was. |
| particular project, when the average for | | | | Since the client had already invested in |
| projects of this scope is about 30%. They | | | | developing the survey, and had pre-paid for |
| chose IVR specifically because of the | | | | some transactional services, I suggested that |
| demographics they were targeting, and where | | | | they conduct a small pilot, a mailing to 200 |
| access to the internet was limited. The | | | | employees. This was a simple post-card |
| survey invitation was part of a benefits | | | | invitation, with the survey toll-free number, |
| package information kit sent out to 15,000 | | | | and access code, plus a compelling reason to |
| employees and the package contained about 50 | | | | call , "We are making changes to your |
| pages. If you have worked in a large | | | | benefits plan, and your opinion is important |
| organization, or your employer offers you | | | | to us. " Printing and mailing were |
| benefits I 'm sure you are familiar with this | | | | cost-effective and the response rate jumped |
| type of package. Included in the package | | | | to 65%. Needless to say the client was |
| there was an invitation to participate in an | | | | ecstatic, and the next week, they mailed all |
| employee survey. The client thought they had | | | | 15,000 postcards, achieving a 62% |
| this under control. The organization was | | | | participation rate. Applying basic marketing |
| relying on the results of this survey to | | | | principals to promoting surveys, became part |
| tailor changes to the benefits package to the | | | | of our clients practice, and escalated the |
| realities faced by employees, and the client | | | | average survey participation rate for |
| wanted to obtain a significant enough sample | | | | employee surveys from 30% to over 50% where |
| to make the changes that reflect the needs | | | | IVR access was provided. |