September 8, 2005

Good companies Do Not Need To Pester People With Surveys Since Their Measure Of Customer Satisfaction Is Rising Revenue!

The above theme appeared prominent in Richard Tomkins article in the Fnancial Times "Business Life Creative Business" section, on September 5, 2005. As Columnist writing on "Business Culture" he appears to dislike customer satisfaction surveys. Indeed, he refers to customer satisfaction surveys as "a modern day plague". His dislike for customer surveys seems to me to be a contradiction for someone writing on the 'right brain' activity of creative business.

whether it's market researchers, email, the Internet or in the workplace people it seems cannot escape being quizzed about their satisfaction. This disease as Rihard Tomkins puts it is also spreading to the public sector. This absurdity is also present in the emergency services.

Richard Tomkins is scathing in his comments about customer satisfaction surveys.

Do you agree with him?

While Richard Tomkins lets it publicly known that he's adverse to consumer satisfaction surveys there's a counter argument. It runs like this. Companies that do not solicit customer feedback on their products and services are missing opportunities to increase sales by not capitalising on cheap market research.

As an innovative small business entrepreneur, using customer satisfaction surveys could provide you with constructive product feedback information. Such information could be used to enhance your existing products. In a competitive marketplace enhancing existing products or developing new products from customer feedback could provide the competitive edge that sets you apart from your competitors.

While your competitors are second gessing reasons for your competitive advantage you're doing the smart thing; capitalising on your customers need for products that solve their problems. In marketing terms you're solving real needs instead of wasting resources trying to reinvent the wheel. "You're one of the smart set that thinks in the box."

Richard Tomkins's article to be fair is focused on the narrow aspect of customer satisfaction; the type that seeks feedback on the rating or services performed. He says "my criticism of these services is that they are a sign of failure". "Good companies with good products or services do not need to pester people with questionnaires".

Richard Tomkins is entitled to his opinion but when it comes to "creative business" small companies that forget the easy and cheap option of surveying their customers are not being smart. Soliciting feedback from your customers, who vote with real dollars and pounds is not a sign of failure, it's being creative.

David Davis
Small Business Resource

Posted by David at 2:41 PM | Comments (0)