One of the reasons I started TripleScoop was to move away from surveys that treated the respondents like trash. And that is exactly what a long customer satisfaction survey like that does–it is absolutely disrespectful of the customer. And in turn, the customer is disrespectful right back–they burn out and give poor answers. So in the end, it’s bad karma and bad data. Not a good combination.

I am going to pick on one of my favorite companies. I am an unabashed fan of a certain chain of hotels. Given the choice, I stay there every time. I especially love their pillows. The best in the world. But overall, I have seldom had a bad experience staying with them. With one exception: Their guest satisfaction surveys are just plain beyond annoying. They are long. They are full of matrices. You feel more like you are feeling out a form at the DMV than taking a survey. And there is the rub–you feel you are not being listened to. There is simply too much. And they ask so many questions that are not relevant to your experience.

Recently, there was a good article on this in the NY Times–”When businesses can’t stop asking how they are doing.”  This article is great and describes in painful detail even more why consumers are getting burned out on satisfaction surveys.  It’s not just the length, nor the uncaring SAT test feeling, but also that they are being asked all the time now.  My favorite lead from that article was to a blog entitled – “Infant who begins Babies R Us Customer Satisfaction Survey dies of old age.”  This one includes a great video recording of her experience.

So what of it?  In the past, I have avoided customer satisfaction surveys as much as I could, precisely for all the reasons stated above and in these links.

But, here is my unabashed marketing plug, this is why we created LocalQR and ProductQR.  Both of these satisfaction surveys have at their core the fact that they are short and sweet.  They also use an open ended format as one of the core questions which allows your customers to set the agenda, and by that, to feel that they are truly being listened to.  It also helps you see red flag situations right away and deal with them.  Some people might complain that there are only a few data points collected.  Complain away.  A focus on a very few key data points will better enable you to take actions on what you learn.  And the answers will be much, much more accurate than if they are one of 60 answers.  Plus, these methods help you build a database of customers for both marketing reasons and as a way to follow-up on specific issues that are beyond the initial survey.  This is a much more practical and cost effective way to get at details.

Social Marketology is about marketing to build relationships between brands and their consumers. These relationships lead to an increase in word of mouth advertising, loyalty, and – best of all – revenue. So, while TripleScoop will still provide you with high quality and insightful market research, Social Marketology will take the consumer insights you have and show you how to leverage them to build relationships with your customers. While this is a marketing function, at its heart are principles developed in the TripleScoop way of doing market research. As Scott has set up and managed research panels (MROCs) for some of our clients over the years, he realized that insights were, well, more insightful, when the respondents felt they were being listened to, validated, and that their opinion mattered. Social Marketology leverages that goodwill between the consumer and the brand by putting insights into action that build relationships with the brand.

We look forward to continuing the relationships we have formed with you over the years. For your market research needs, contact Ted at TripleScoop.  (While we definitely will miss Scott, we will continue to provide the great work and insights you have become accustomed to.)  For your branding and marketing opportunities, especially in the social media world, or to learn more about Social Marketology, give Scott a call 214.499.6991 or drop him an email at scott@socialmarketology.com.

Follow this link to watch the video.

You see rarely is it about price. It’s about value. These former customers were giving up more than they were receiving from their provider. We also gained understanding of the pain points associated with switching telecommunication providers. We concluded that while some did leave for “better AND cheaper” service, if they were satisfied – getting what they wanted – switching to a new provider probably would not have been an option because they were 1) happy with their service and 2) not willing to go through the pain of switching.

Bottom line: Have reasonable prices and don’t give your customers a compelling reason to leave.

In the last set of focus groups we did, we tried something new and it turned out pretty helpful. While moderating, I held an iPad and was connected via Facebook chat to the backroom. No more passing of post-its into the room.

No, it wasn’t revolutionary. But yes, it was rather fun and enhanced the groups ever so slightly. And that is why we constantly look for new ways to incorporate technology into research.