Can I give you some feedback on feedback?
You have got to be kidding me. You would think I am just making this up, but as the profit, Lauren Choumas once said, “You can’t make this shit up”.
For fun, over the span of two weeks, I kept track of EVERY company that asked for feedback on their products and services. Check out this list:
Checking into the airport (CLEAR)
The flying experience (Southwest)
Airport WIFI
The rental car (Enterprise)
The purchase of digital radio (XM Radio)
Checking into the hospital for spine surgery (Presbyterian St. Lukes)
Putting me to sleep (The anesthesiologist)
Buying home insurance (GEICO)
Watch repair (local jeweler)
FACEBOOK advertising
Change in cell phone plan (Verizon)
Dinner at a high-end sushi restaurant.
Dry Cleaning – (TIDE CLEANERS)
Parking (valet) for a Denver hotel.
GOOGLE advertising
Jeep service department
Purchase at the APPLE store in Cherry Creek
Dinner Delivery (UBER EATS)
Domain Purchases – (GODADDY)
Loft WIFI (GigaMonster)
My local Colorado bank (on the use of their app)
Picking up a prescription (King Soopers)
All of these companies sent me an email, or a text message asking me for a “few min of my time” to gather customer intelligence. I know there are some I forgot. If it took me 5 min per survey (and some were much longer) that is 110 minutes of time spent giving others my thoughts and opinions on their products, services,
No, I don’t want to give you feedback.
Enough. If you spent 30 seconds on about 15 products or services that you use every day, you would end up spending about 48 hours per year just giving feedback. But really?
I get it. I’m in Marketing and have been for decades. There is no better way to improve your products and services or get the REAL story better than surveying your target audience. But at what point is it too much? How much is too much? I’m imagining a “person behind the curtain” that is running all the algorithms and crunching the data for the next executive marketing meeting. But are they? Or does the feedback fall into a black hole where someone got to check a box on a performance review: “Have you surveyed our customers?”
Let’s look at some industries that need to REALLY survey their customers:
- Direct TV (Maybe they do – but I have not received one, maybe because they would know what I would say.)
- The Department of Motor Vehicles – Pick a state, I don’t care.
- Any dating app – (not saying I know this for a fact, just asking for a friend)
- All social media advertising
- All Healthcare Insurance Companies (but only if they do something with the data)
Having the data and doing something are two different things. I can show you the scale every morning, but that doesn’t mean you will put on your running shoes.
I just hope that all brands don’t need feedback on performance. Viagra, you are welcome.
