Last Week’s Survey May Already Be Old News
By Susan Saldibar
Surveys typically do not age well for obvious reasons. Putting a cohesive survey together takes time. Within that time frame the very things you want to survey may have a) been resolved already, b) festered past the point of repair, or c) be no longer relevant. The same is true with collecting your results. By the time you have gathered up the surveys, input and analyzed the results you may already have a crisis on your hands!
“In today’s world with all the technology available to us, it is amazing that so many senior living communities continue to use old methods of surveying. Or no surveying at all,” says Michael Johnson, Vice President of Research for ServiceTrac, a Senior Housing Forum partner.
Catching input in real time. Responding in real time.
Michael recently discussed some of the leaps and bounds that have occurred just over the last couple of years in survey technology and analytics, and why they are more important now than ever to management.
Today we have the tools to conduct surveys in real time. That means catching the individual at a certain moment in time and capturing his or her thoughts. Here are the key benefits of real time feedback:
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Your database is always current and input always fresh.
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Allows for faster adjustments to mission critical issues.
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Helps shape and reinforce positive behavior immediately.
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Gives residents and staff a sense that their input is important.
It doesn’t “take too long” anymore.
“With new tools available it does not ‘take too long’ to get a solid survey in place,” says Michael. “Today you can get a viable survey up on its feet within hours and get results within a day or two,” he adds.
And there is a real competitive advantage as well. Senior living communities who tap into the minds of their residents and staff in real time will gain added confidence and loyalty within their community. Residents will know that yours is the community that cares enough to “check in” with them frequently and quickly respond to their needs.
But collecting input in real time has additional value that transcends the data itself. “By collecting input in real time, you are sending within your community, a message,” says Michael. “You are, in effect, telling each and every person who works and lives within your community that they count and that their input is valuable, not just occasionally, but every minute of every day.”
For more information on surveying and other tools to gather insight within your community, please visit the ServiceTrac website.
