The Customer Service Survey
Following the Money
Thu - February 16, 2006 04:09 PM in
Yesterday I received a marketing e-mail from a company, and as is typical in these messages, they define the problem their product is meant to solve. My issue is that what they define as the problem is based on what their technology addresses and not on what the customer really needs. The message clearly misleads the customer to think that curing a symptom will fix the disease.
Today, I was reminded of a variation on the above in a newsletter I received reminding its readers that name brand entities providing consumer market research are hired by the companies that benefit if the results make the buyer look good. I wanted to argue that these research entities wouldn't release biased data, but I can't when just last night I saw a TV ad for a major household name product cite the top customer satisfaction scores received from a big name research firm. It happens to be in an area we here have been tracking (without a specific client to hamper our objectivity) data for a very long time, and what the TV spot claimed the researcher found is in direct conflict to our findings.
So, unfortunately, the admonition to "follow the money" and find out who stands to gain or lose as the key to get to the truth of a thing, applies just as much in satisfaction research as it might in media, politics or anything else.
Posted by Rick Rappe
So, unfortunately, the admonition to "follow the money" and find out who stands to gain or lose as the key to get to the truth of a thing, applies just as much in satisfaction research as it might in media, politics or anything else.
Posted by Rick Rappe
Posted at 04:09 PM | | | | |