Clause 9.1.2 of ISO 9001 requires the organization to monitor customer perception of the degree to which their needs and expectations have been fulfilled. The satisfaction survey is the most direct method — but not the only one: complaints, repeat orders, compliments and contract meetings also count. The mistake is relying only on the annual survey with a 12% response rate and calling that "the voice of the customer".
The structure that works in B2B combines two layers. The NPS question ("on a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend company X?") gives the general temperature and a number that is comparable between periods: promoters (9-10) minus detractors (0-6) = NPS. And the attribute questions (product quality, delivery, service, response to problems, value for money, from 1 to 5) tell you WHERE to act — the NPS alone warns that something is wrong, but not what. Close with an open question: "what should we improve first?" — open answers are gold for the management review.
Practices that raise the response rate in B2B: a short survey (7 questions at most, 3 minutes), sent by the sales contact the customer knows (not by a no-reply address), with a defined window and a single reminder. A healthy rate in B2B is 30 to 50% of the active customer base. And most important: close the loop — a customer who pointed out a problem and got feedback about the action taken becomes a promoter surprisingly often; a customer who answered and never heard back learns not to answer.
The template below brings the complete questionnaire and an example of consolidated tabulation ready for the management review.