On a scale of A to 17, with one being “Always” and red being “Parsnips,” how would you rate your experience with customer satisfaction surveys? I’m sure most of you use them, though I haven’t done a survey to back that up.
I’m not here to question your motives. Hopefully you crave feedback from residents and family members like America craves a competitive Super Bowl, and the data you receive drives changes in your facility. But as a consumer in a manipulative, marketing-driven world of push polls and scams, please excuse my skepticism about surveys in general.
That’s because hardly a transaction goes by in daily life without some massive entity wondering by phone or email how I felt about it. Given the eroding customer service that’s become the norm, it’s hard to believe they actually care. Unfortunately, that becomes the context of your own well-intentioned attempts to discover what people really think, and I suspect affects not only response rates but also the time your residents and families are willing to invest in thoughtful feedback.
Recently, though, my survey cynicism took a direct hit from an unexpected source: a bank. One of the evil ones that almost destroyed the world. After enduring a series of unsatisfactory interactions, I got the usual generic email soliciting my feedback. This time I gave it to them, vigorously venting with no hope that anyone was actually listening.
Barely a day later, I got a startling phone call. From the very agent I’d talked with last. With an actual answer to my question. Somehow, my concerns filtered through that faceless labyrinth, and after expecting nothing, I got everything I asked for.
That’s the best antidote to survey cynicism — shock your customers with action. With skepticism rampant and expectations low, prove them wrong by addressing concerns, fast and personally. Believe me, that’s the last thing they’ll be expecting.
From the March 01, 2014 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
