satisfaction questionnaire

The best way to do surveys that are just for feedback is on your web site. We have a feature that allows each member to vote only once so there is no padding. It keeps a running total as well.

The problem with paper surveys is that people are too busy and they'll lose them or forget to sent them in. An online survey can be taken when they check to see whats going on, and they can only answer the questions that interest them.

Can you give some statistics on how many homeowners, what percentage respond to questions?

My experience is that websites are utilized about as well as newsletters as well as junk mail. They just get about 15% viewing.

Depending on how extensive of a survey, the best responses come if you include return postage.

For example, you could either send out a card that has a detachable return card, complete with return postage, if it is a small survey.

Or if it is larger, then include a self-addressed, stamped return envelope.

Our web site is private, so I wouldn't be able to let anyone view it. I think that getting people to use a website is a function of its content. Most newsletters are marginally interesting. A BOD has to encourage its use. We update ours every day with the latest details of ongoing projects. So we've created a reason for people to check it often.

We have about 20% of the members who visit the site every day, and 60% who visit weekly. The number who respond to a survey depends on its importance. Sometimes we ask what kind of decorations are preferred for a holiday, and other times we may ask if people think the lighting it too dim or bright in certain areas of the building. Sometimes almost everyone answers, sometimes only a handful.

Another key is making an effort to set up a network to get in touch with people to get them to answer. Our previous board didn't keep the email list up to date or take note when people didn't get their email regularly (or ever in the case of typos in the mailing list). Nothing happens automatically. It takes an effort to make your site informative. I'd say at least half of the member care about day to day affairs. Here in Florida there's always 1/3 of the building that isn't here, so we'll never get 100%. Some members are just infrequent visitors/investors. But they don't care about the decorations or social events anyway because they are never around.

Brenda:

We don't have one, but with any survey it really depends on what you are trying to find out. Write down a list of questions you want answered and put it on your survey. I.E. ask their opinion of the maintenance and give them a scale to answer. Other surveys can give ideas but truely I think you need to put down the questions you want answers to.

Here is a question...can you offer a discount on dues for one month to get the survey back? Let's say your monthly dues are $200, can you tell them you will get $5 or $10 off to return the survey as an incentive? I know that is lost revenue and maybe isn't worth it, but without an incentive surveys probably won't get returned at a good rate.

We have just over 200 units. A survey with 20% of the members seems plausible. There are only a handful of people who don't have computers, but everyone has a friend with a computer. The only peole who never visit the web site are those that are investors with their units up for sale and those that have like 5 homes and they just don't care that much.

Barny:

Well, bully for your and your "wired" community.

I can assure you that yours is not the norm, especially in our area.

We have 275 homes. At MOST 5% are wired and fewer than those use the internet on any regular or consistent basis.

We would be foolish to use email or website as our central communication tool.

That would be true for not only our community, but the many many other communities in our area.

The core of any communication strategy in a community such as ours would have to be direct mail, with internet as a supplement at best. We also have a telephone message line for people to contact us and leave messages as well.

And it appears to me that 40% of your membership regularly being out of the communication link is substantial. The message I'm hearing in that is that the board is just plain lazy and expects the target audience to come to them instead of the other way around.

I think that there is some background here that I am not aware of.

However, Barney did say his board contributed to the website every day. I don't think that is lazy at all. In fact, if more community websites had that kind of support from the board, perhaps they would be better used. A website should be a wonderful way to communicate all that is going on, however if the board ignores it and the information there is as stale as in the newsletter there is really very little point in it. I can imagine how a website that had continually updated information, requests for feedback, etc. would be utilized a lot more than just a "presence" website.

60% response is more than we have ever gotten on anything. Our newsletters are hand delivered -- how many of them just sit on the front railings for weeks until they blow away? Many. With mailed surveys, including a SASE, we thought we had done well to get 40% response. A well thought out communication strategy includes all facets of communications, IMO. I would be afraid of going to all computer (they claim that 70% of our county has computers, and there is a library 5 minutes away from here that definitely does), but I have often wanted to do a survey that asks how many people don't have computers and do read the newsletter. It is a number that would be very interesting to know. I have a feeling that is the same people who leave that newsletter on their front porch that can't/won't use the computer. Our message board just had 20% of the community on it. Of that 20% (195 member community) perhaps 5 people posted with any regularity. Probably about 20 of the people were "active lurkers".

Judith:

I disagree, respectfully. But it is relatively easy to sit at a keyboard and do computer entry, press a few buttons, upload docs, point-and-shoot-copy-and-paste rather than write, organize, produce and disseminate a community-wide paper communication, be it a letter, a newsletter, an information car, a survey, whatever.

And I also disagree that 60% "accessing" the website means they are getting "participation." On a weekly basis that still means that 40% of the homeowners are out of the information/communication loop.

That is not good communication. Not at all.

That means that only, at best, 60% of the residents know what is going on at any given time -- because they have to actively go out and retrieve the information, or they don't get any information at all. In his situation, that's about 80 families. In my case, that would mean that 110 families would be missing out on valid and/or important information.

I'm not saying a website that is "active" is a bad thing, or even that a website that is relatively INACTIVE is a bad thing. On the contrary, a website can be an important tool in the board's communication "toolbox." It should just not, in any way shape or form, be the main or only way.

We have a website and have mediocre participation at best, from the narrow margin of people in our community who regularly use the internet. And yes, we regularly list the web address and inform members of additional information they may want to access on-line in or formal paper communications to them. And, as a webmaster myself I know that it takes a lot of time to keep a site fresh and compelling. That's not what garnered the "lazy" moniker from me.

My point is that by relying on internet technology exclusively, it is very very easy to virtually (no pun intended) eliminate communication to a large block of constituents. And, in an HOA, since all residents are members and entitled to complete and up-to-date information, that is not a good thing. And, again, it is indicative of a board that does not want to put the energy and resources into maintaining proper and efficient communication. Ergo my "lazy" moniker. They'd rather rely on "webmastering," and communicating only to those residents who actively seek out the information, than working on a communication strategy that will effectively reach the entire community.

Summary: For an HOA: Web presence? Good idea. Web only presence? Not-so-good idea.

Michelle,

I am not advocating web only communication, although some in our community have, and others have advocated abolishing the website.

I do not think, however, just because you send out a newsletter to ever individual in the community, every individual reads that newsletter. The point that I am curious about is how many people who don't visit the website read the newsletter.

Hi

Yes, although the discussion has been interesting, it has moved away from sharing any existing questionnaires. If anyone has a questionnaire, Id still love to see it.

In the meantime, Ive been working on one. If you're interested, I could send it to you when its done.

Brenda

Brenda, Paul, & SC:

I did a quick Google search with the key words, Homeowners Association Survey and found a number of .pdf documents from many HOA's that could be used as inspiration for what you are looking for.

I think it is an excellent idea. I even saw one that offered a type of incentive for returning the surveys, like free guests passes to an amenity they would normally have to pay for.

Hope this helps. Good luck.