Page 89 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

70 Chapter Four

same way. However, the respondent might feel that the image of the community
will increase, because of the better freeway access, but the property value will go
down due to increased traffic, noise, and commercial development.
Example 4.2
If a survey question is worded as “What is your income?”, it will generate all
kinds of answers, such as annual income, hourly pay, monthly income, or total
household income. This is an example of an ambiguous question. A better
wording of the question would be
What is your total annual income before taxes?
a. Below $20,000
b. $20,001 to $40,000
c. $40,001 to $60,000
d. $60,001 to $80,000
e. $80,001 to $100,000
f. Over $100,000

4.2.3 Order of Questions in Surveys

The order in which questions are presented can affect the overall customer
survey significantly. A poorly organized questionnaire can confuse the
respondents, bias their responses, and jeopardize the quality of the survey.

It is a good idea to start the survey with some easy introductory questions.
Here are some examples:
Do you own a car?

Yes______ No______
Do you have an e-mail address?
Yes______ No______
How long have you lived in the current property?

______ (years)
You should save more complicated questions that may require some careful
thought for later after you warm up the respondents with introductory
questions.

There are several typical organizational patterns for survey questions:
1. Chronological order: The questions are in sequential or temporal
order, for instance, from most recent to least recent.
2. Funnel pattern: From general to specific.