Satisfaction questionnaires have become an almost integral part of consumer life today, encountered increasingly often after purchasing a product or using a service. Although the use of satisfaction questionnaires is constantly growing, their perception varies. From the perspective of manufacturers, providers, or sellers, they are a tool that helps them gain valuable information. On the other hand, customers may perceive these questionnaires as bothersome.

It is true that we are rarely pleased to find a request to complete a satisfaction questionnaire in our email inbox. Whether we fill out the questionnaire is often influenced by our current state – if we are busy, we will probably skip it, but if we have time, for example in a waiting room, we will complete it. At the same time, our rating is often affected by an emotional experience, especially a negative one, associated with a purchase or service. It often happens that we fill out the questionnaire sooner when we are dissatisfied with a purchase than when we were satisfied.

Although we might primarily associate the use of satisfaction questionnaires with the private sector, customer satisfaction should also be determined in public administration, even if the environment is mostly non-competitive. A certain shift has occurred in this sphere in recent years. This can be attributed to digitalisation, the use of various tools, or the development of specialised applications.

How Do We Determine Customer Satisfaction at the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing?

At the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMS SR), we use an anonymous questionnaire, which is published on the Office’s web site, to determine customer satisfaction. This questionnaire serves the Office’s customers who have used our services in the field of technical standardisation, metrology, testing, or quality, and it was introduced in 2020. Since then, we have modified it several times to better identify feedback and allow customers to leave us an email address.

At the end of 2024, we recorded the one-thousandth completed questionnaire. Although numbers are not our primary goal, it is always interesting to pause and evaluate the development so far and the effort expended. And this is why we are bringing you our observations and experience from these four years of satisfaction surveying.

Three Principles Guiding Our Questionnaire Management

Appropriate Promotion:

The questionnaire is published on our web site, but its utilisation also depends on the activity of individual organisational units. If they themselves overlook it, we cannot expect customers to fill it out. To increase the chance of it being completed, we send it to customers after a service has been provided, after organising events, or regularly at certain intervals. A link to the questionnaire can also be included directly in employees’ signature blocks, which also increases its reach.

Of course, when promoting it, it is necessary to be mindful of appropriateness. Neither too little nor too much promotion is useful, lest we start “spamming” a respondent by failing to realise that they may have received our questionnaire multiple times on different occasions.

We Consider Results in Context:

The anonymity of questionnaires is both their advantage and disadvantage. It offers the respondent the opportunity to express their evaluation under the guise of anonymity. This is not much of a problem with a positive rating, but it is worse with a negative one, where, if the respondent is silent, you do not find out why they were dissatisfied.

We have also had the experience of receiving a number of negative ratings without a further explanation. For this case, we have established an option that requires stating the reason when giving a negative rating, allowing us to better understand where improvement is needed on our part.

One Hundred Percent Resolution of Every Questionnaire:

We have a central database for questionnaire management, and each organisational unit receives their filtered satisfaction questionnaires once a month (more frequently in urgent cases). All questionnaires that include suggestions, comments, or initiatives automatically go into the evaluation part, where the specific organisational unit must comment on their validity and, if necessary, adopt measures for resolution. We also monitor the implementation of adopted measures.

At the same time, we respond to all questionnaires where the respondent has left their email address. We value every response, especially if it is constructive feedback. In the case of a positive rating, we thank the respondent; if a question, suggestion, or initiative is sent, we reply by explaining its justification and the method of resolution.

Which Respondent Is Most Useful to Us?

The most useful questionnaires for us are those where respondents do not just fill in the pre-set options but also explain in detail the reasons for their rating. This type of feedback helps us to identify specific areas for improving our services. Over the course of four years, we have implemented several changes based on such responses, for example, adjustments to our web site or in the area of service provision.

We Strive to Educate Customers to Explain Their (Dis)satisfaction

When managing questionnaires, our goal is to ensure that both the respondent and we benefit from them. The first step is for the customer to complete the questionnaire as accurately as possible so that we can work with the response and adopt adequate solutions. Here are a few recommendations for everyone who will be filling out either our questionnaire or any other:

• Be Objective: Try not to evaluate based on current emotions. Do not automatically assign a negative rating throughout the entire questionnaire due to dissatisfaction with one aspect of service provision.
• State Specific Reasons: If you are dissatisfied, explain specifically what you found unsatisfactory in the service provision. If you have any suggestions for improvement, include those too.
• Positive Feedback Is Equally Important: Offer praise if you were satisfied; state what you liked. Positive feedback always pleases employees, especially when it comes from an external source.
• Do Not Forget Your Contact Details: If you have comments or questions, do not hesitate to leave your email; do not hide behind anonymity. A decent organisation will certainly respond to your suggestions.

Updated 13.11.2025