The 3 Reasons to Be Wary of Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Why your "satisfied" customer is probably eyeing the door
There is an entire industry devoted to helping companies determine customer satisfaction levels through surveys and analysis. But just how much value does your knowledge of "satisfaction" really add to your ability to keep your most profitable customers?
The answer is, unfortunately, often not much. While surveys do serve a purpose (primarily showing trending: "Are we doing better or worse than last year?") below are three fundamental reasons it's dangerous to rely on customer satisfaction surveys to help you improve the Customer Experience:
1) Dissatisfied customers don't speak up
Yes, some customers respond to satisfaction surveys, but which customers? Using which channels-online, phone, mail, email? In fact, scary as it might sound, recent studies show that for every 100 dissatisfied customers only two bother to say anything to the company; while the rest "vote with their feet," and just leave.
If you think about it, this makes sense. When you're unhappy, as a customer, with a company, do you try to somehow remedy the situation, to "fix" the company, or is it easier to just say "the heck with it" and leave? Of course, that doesn't mean customers don't tell others about their bad experience. Research shows people share bad-experience stories with around 15 people (mainly other prospective customers), while good experience stories are shared with only roughly half as many people.
2) Customers won't tell you the truth
In many cases, when customers do take the time to respond to satisfaction surveys, they'll indicate that they are "satisfied" or "mostly satisfied" regardless of how they really feel. A study of people who recently left their banks illustrates this: 80% said they were "satisfied" with their former institution. Of course, some people leave a bank because they move, or for some other valid reason-but not four out of five.
Why? Simply put, it's easier. Also, the notion of "satisfaction" is a very soft concept. What does satisfied mean? For most, it indicates meeting expectations. Human nature is to be "nice." If things aren't great, that usually equates "satisfaction." And satisfaction most definitely does not equal loyalty.
3) Even if customers want to tell you the truth, they can't, because they're irrational
Customers are sensitive, emotional and, let's face it, irrational beings. How do we know this? Because research indicates we're all emotional irrational beings, and in recent years, we've learned just how irrational. Shockingly, 95% of our brain activity centers around the irrational or subconscious; leaving a meager 5% busy trying to explain why we act or feel certain ways. And we do this, not by tapping into our subconscious, but by making inferences based on our behavior. In essence, we make things up. So, these findings beg the question: If we can't even tell ourselves the truth, why should we expect customers to provide truthful feedback on satisfaction?
