Earlier this week, there was a discussion post on RetaillWire which talked about how customer satisfaction surveys can be less than truthful. Author Tom Ryan points to a study by a University of Texas marketing professor who believes people “self-enhance” survey answers. Thus, questioning the validity and usefulness of customer satisfaction surveys as a whole.
ICC/Decision Services team works with surveys as a part of the customer expereince programs. I offered my experience to the discussion and here’s my take:
Social scientists, at least those candid enough to admit to the failings of their profession, have always admitted that survey respondents’ answers to survey questions need to be carefully interpreted. Some respondents–hopefully–tell the truth (as far as they know or understand it), but other respondents will lie or fabricate answers either to confuse, mislead, impress or please the surveyor or surveying institution.
So the answer to the question is, of course their tendencies to fabricate have an influence on surveys of customer behavior. But, smart marketing researchers have built fail-safes into their questionnaires ever since they figured this out. First, researchers will attempt to somewhat mask their intention for asking questions. This neutralizes those out to confuse or please the surveyor. Next, researchers use procedures to identify or trap those telling lies so that their answers can be excluded from the final survey tally. But most of all, good researchers know the limitations of survey research and therefore are disciplined in the amount and type of information they ask respondents for. Even the most accurately collected survey responses are still only right up to some probability. The real challenge of survey research is to carefully interpret responses and to explain their limitations to the client who has commissioned the information gathering.
How has your organizations used customer surveys? What are your thoughts on the truthfulness of surveys?
