When protecting your client can mean poor market research

This is a plea to all advertising and PR agencies out there who approach market research companies like us to conduct market research projects on behalf of their clients.

Expect a good market research agency to challenge your objectives and your survey questions.  That's what we're in business to do.  In fact be wary of any market research agency that doesn't challenge what you want to achieve.

And, when the market research agency says: "please may we meet your client to clarify some points?", it doesn't mean that we don't trust you.  It means that like you, we want to serve your client to the very best of our abilities and sometimes there is no substitute for a direct meeting. 

A direct meeting can also cut set-up times dramatically because it spares the need for us to send questions to you, you to send questions to the client, the client to then answer to you .... and so on. 

We're not trying to steal the client from you, we won't knock you in front of them, in fact it is in our interests to show that we have built a solid relationship with you based upon mutual trust and understanding. (Which is all we ever want)

The three parties working together create a win/win/win situation.  One that delivers the very best research, which mean a very happy client for you and a very happy client for us.

Little things that make or break the customer experience

For poor customer experience, Bristol airport is right up there with the worst.    No-one wants to put their carry-on liquids in a see-through bag, but we do it because deep down we know it's for our safety.

And sometimes we forget to do this before setting off.  It's then you discover that you have to buy a bag at a price of £1.00 for a packet of 4 from a vending machine.   I witnessed more than one weary traveller at 06.15 being told "you'll have to get one from the machine over there" (disinterested pointing followed).

Later that same day, on approaching the security area at Edinburgh airport for my return flight, I was greeted by a very chearful person with an armful of bags, he was giving advise and offering a free bag to anyone who needed one.  A small gesture but one with a big impact.

Given a choice, where do you think I would fly from?  OK, I have to fly from Bristol because it is close by where I live but how I wish I had more choice!  I bet they wouldn't charge for bags then. 

It's often the little things that make or break a customer experience.

(And, I haven't even mentioned yet that Bristol Airport also charges for the use of their trolleys and £17.00 per day to park your car).

When "Can Do" and "No Problem" mean something else

We recently needed to door drop a survey to residents in a particular area.  We found a specialist company on Google and rang the Managing Director.  "Can you offer short lead times?"  "No problem",  "Can you cover the whole area and all residential addresses?" "No problem",  "Can you deliver within the following 3 day window?"  "Can do"

The contact arrived, we paid up front and gave our client the good news.  Then DISASTER!

The delivery was 4 days late, large areas weren't delivered to, we asked for reports on what was going on and we didn't get them for 2 weeks.

So I called the MD and got this "Our terms and conditions are all over our web site"  And indeed they are.

In its small print, this company, Mailbox Nationwide, promises no more than 80% coverage and doesn't promise to hit your delivery deadlines.  The use of "CAN DO" means "well, we can do it if we want to be bothered but if we don't - tough!"

I'm still coming to terms with who is the idiot here.  Me for trusting the words of a fellow MD and then not reading the small print or them for so blatantly misrepresenting their company over the phone.

I've come to the conclusion that it is them.  Businesses built on trust, honesty and mutual understanding will flourish.  Those that show none of these traits and no empathy or understanding either when things go wrong will not retain customers.

I have the right to "Not Applicable" in surveys

We strongly believe that respondents must be given the right to say "Not Applicable" in circumstances where there is a chance that the respondent didn't take part.

One of our team relates to an email he was sent by a well know budget airline with a link to a market research survey asking him about his recent flight experience:-

"There was a 5 point Likert Scale going about its business with a long list of questions. One question was; Your rating of the in-flight trolley service?

I didn't partake of the service so skipped the question. On hitting the link to the next page I got one of those warning messages YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED ONE QUESTION

So... back I went to look for the N/A choice ("silly me... must have missed it!"). but it wasn't there. So I tried again to move on and got the same warning message.

I had to make a choice, abandon the survey or make something up".

I made something up and really didn't take the rest of the survey seriously. (A few random answers were provided by way of revenge).