Post Acquisition: Customer Survey and Letter
About 100 days after Close, it’s a good idea to take the temperature of the two companies’ customers. Chances are they may have experienced some turbulence caused by the transition. They’ll probably appreciate a little special attention at this point, so it certainly can’t hurt to touch base and find out if they’re experiencing any problems that you might not otherwise be aware of.
It may be uncomfortable to go looking for bad news, but it’s even worse if customers have a problem with your business and don’t tell you about it. It’s up to the seller to keep the lines of communication open. A survey is one way to promote a dialogue with customers and give them an opportunity to tell you how well the combined organization is meeting their needs.
This survey:
- Communicates to customers that the company is concerned about any impact the deal may have had on them
- Helps the company find out if customers are confused or unhappy about new policies and procedures
- Explores whether or not customers are experiencing billing or customer service problems
- Determines whether or not the customer intends to do business with the company in the future
- Finds out if the customer is happy enough with the company to recommend it to others ...