Picking Blueberries and the Customer Satisfaction Survey

Picking fresh blueberries in Vermont has to be one of the highlights of our short summer season.

There's nothing quite like pulling a handful of berries from the bush and feeling no qualms about popping them straight into your mouth! There will always be more for the bucket!

But on our last outing, I got to thinking that client satisfaction surveys have some similarities to picking blueberries. Consider this. At least half the benefit of picking those blueberries comes from the very act itself. From taking part in the overall experience.

In addition to the berries themselves, you get the benefits of exercising on a beautiful sunny day, breathing lots of fresh air and taking in the natural surroundings. And with each berry you select, you have a tidbit perfectly endowed with everything need to make you smile!

So too, with a client satisfaction survey.

The very act of seeking out clients' opinions, and listening to them, yields untold benefits. Not just with the distilled data afterward, but along the way as well.

Often, as I conduct surveys, respondents let me know how much they appreciate that someone is taking the time and trouble to ask for feedback.

And here's another similarity... the more you pick, the better!

Same is true for listening to clients. No matter how you try, you can't get to speak with each of those clients. You don't have to worry about exhausting the supply. Just make sure you do design the satisfaction questionnaire to allow for as broad a range of opinions as possible.

Which brings me to a third similarity. Sometimes the sweetest berries lie hidden behind an imperfect appearance. While it's tempting to go for the perfectly round shapes with their abundant juice, sometimes a slightly wrinkled fruit will turn out to hold even more concentrated sweetness.

That's the way it is with client feedback. What appears to be a complaint, may hold the most valuable feedback you'll receive. When a client takes time to let you know how to improve, consider it an exquisite moment. A rare gem. Often, we overlook the secrets that could propel our business to the next level, precisely because they're hidden in an outer form that's less appealing than the standard 'Great Work' comments.

Last, but not least, I realized that picking those berries filled me with an enormous sense of gratitude. Taking time to ask your clients for their feedback should do the same for you. Without clients, there would be no business!