Customer Satisfaction Surveys: If You Don't Want to Know, Don't Ask

A few weeks ago I took my car into the dealership for routine maintenance. I really like my car! I like the dealership. Everyone is professional and the environment is pleasant.

The service person said that I would be receiving a survey and to please give him all 10's or he would "fail." Later I heard another employee tell another customer the same thing.

When I got the survey, 10 equated to "truly exceptional." The dealership is very good, but to get a "truly exceptional" it needs to wash the inside as well as outside of my car; provide me with a private office to conduct business while I wait; and offer me cheese, crackers, fruit, and chocolate as a snack (for free) instead of the standard vending machine offerings. (And with me being a dietitian, this would have to be done while maintaining time/temperature control and avoid cross contamination!) In other words, it needs to do things that no one else does. Isn't that the definition of truly exceptional?

I ignored the first survey. The service manager sent a second. I emailed him back stating I wasn't going to waste my time with filling out a survey when obviously the dealership just wanted good grades rather than knowing what I really thought. I equated it to giving a child an A just for showing up for class. He did not respond!

I will return to the dealership because it is good. But I am not going to inflate grades. And I am not going to waste my time when the dealership really is not interested.

If you are conducting customer satisfaction surveys, I encourage you to question why you are really doing it. Is it just to show off your high scores? Or is it to really learn what your customers think and how you can improve? There is a difference!