How can we be sure?
What is good customer satisfaction research? A sure bet is an alluring prospect that has innate appeal but market research thrusts that carrot too regularly and so increasingly suspicion must rise proportionately with the claims.
All major pharmaceutical companies wish to be the employer of choice and some major banks are claiming customer satisfaction leadership. Nearly every foyer of major companies carries a 'winning trophy' of some sort. Can we believe them?
Simply, no!
Three conditions move against the claims. The first is that many awards are vested by interest groups. Recently there was one customer satisfaction award that went to advertisers of the administering body. Another customer satisfaction award had the reputation of giving awards to the clients of the consultant members of the executive. 'Best airline' awards are usually given by the wholesalers to groups that sell most. Not impartial, not free of influence, nor worth the hype that followed.
Poor research abounds. I recently completed an 'on line survey' that allowed me to rate a particular bank at the bottom of the pond – and if I wanted, I could be still filling out surveys stating that impression. I pity the banks that takes the results from that research company! The recent job vacancy levels reported is based on newspapers and if there was ever a trend to move into electronic media it must be the recruitment industry! How valid is that research now?
Finally, results can are never seen in their full glory. They are treated like a one liner squeezed from a mediocre review to headline the advertisement. It's amazing how that 'extraordinary result' can be read!
So what's the answer? Be skeptical – be unconvinced – question the source. And trust your own judgment based on first hand experience. Absolutely!