Survey Flood Prove Customer is King

No matter what business you're in, the one true constant has always been:

         "The Customer is King."

All the marketing, analysis and research in the world goes for naught if your customer service is lousy. Businesses that want to stay in business understand that. Smart employes who want to keep earning paychecks understand that. And in this age of "Yelp" and "Trip Advisor" and Amazon reviews, customers understand the power they wield all too well.

One result of this dynamic is my email box is flooded with followup surveys from almost every business and restaurant we do business with. "How Did We Do?' "Take Five Minutes and Rate Us." "Win $300! Take This Survey!" 

Oh yes -- there are also lots of incentives to give feedback. They range from a $25 gift card from Five Guys to a $5,000 gift card from Home Depot. I've never actually won anything yet, but you have to figure the odds are better than the Florida Lottery.

There are other perks as well. Fill out a survey from McDonalds and you automatically get a free breakfast sandwich or hamburger with the purchase of one. But pay attention to the details -- you usually only have a limited time to complete the survey.

Beyond the chance to win somethng, the main reason to do a survey is provide honest feedback. Be honest and candid. Praise what they did right, point out what they could do better. And if you encountered someone who went the extra mile, give them a shoutout.

As a customer, you have more power than ever. Use it wisely

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