The terror of good feedback
A quick note about satisfaction surveys, which seem to be more of a strategy than an actual inquiry.
For some time now, I've been observing a situation where, at the end of a conversation, a consultant, with a hopeful tone, asks that if they receive a phone survey or text message requesting a rating, they give them a positive rating. The consultants add a magic formula that such a rating will "allow them to grow." At one telecommunications company, requests for a positive rating appear after almost every interaction with a client, even the smallest one.
The height of absurdity came when, after a system failure and the inability to resolve my issue, the consultant asked for a good rating. Shortly thereafter, I received a call asking if the matter had been resolved.
Answering "no" could have caused problems for the employee, while "yes" would have meant participating in a sham show. Ultimately, I chose the lesser evil—I hung up.
These experiences prompt reflection on practices in the area of Customer Experience:
- Speak well or not at all. The consultants' requests clearly indicate that they are committed to a positive evaluation. However, in the context of customer experience quality management, the goal isn't to obtain feedback, but merely to achieve a very good evaluation. This is somewhat reminiscent of the historical situation from many years ago, when radio listenership surveys were "supported" by on-air announcements: If someone calls you and asks what radio station you listen to, tell them you listen to our radio.
- Let's sugarcoat reality and the knife will come true. Customer satisfaction shouldn't be limited to obtaining only positive reviews. Companies should strive to obtain reliable reviews, regardless of their nature. Experience shows that we learn the most from negative reviews, which provide valuable insights for further improvement.
- Forcing a good answer as a method of customer discomfort. Striving for customer comfort can paradoxically lead to discomfort. The way feedback is requested can have unpleasant consequences for consultants, placing the customer in an uncomfortable situation. I'm used to leaving feedback, but I don't want to be forced to leave only positive comments.
Conclusions
The importance of employee experience is often discussed, but after such experiences, I wouldn't want to work for a company that allows only positive reviews. Forcing positive reviews from customers is questionable, at best, from both a business and research perspective, and doesn't demonstrate a company's genuine commitment to obtaining honest feedback.
Rather, it shows that a way has been found to manipulate the results in order to get good grades.