Don't Ask for a 5 out of 5

The purpose of a survey is to get honest information on which to base decisions. When I received a recent invitation to complete a Superstore survey, it made me angry. On the survey page, they say they want to make my shopping experience better, great.

But on the survey invitation, they are telling me how to rate them! Leave a 5 out of 5. What a waste of the customer's time and your research dollars to request a certain rating. How can that be of value to improving your business?

People are giving you their time which must be respected. You are investing in research and you should want the best information. Don't lead the response, ask for an honest opinion and learn from the results.

If you receive a high average score, pat yourself on the back. If you are afraid you won't get a good rating, perhaps the survey isn't necessary as you already 'know' there are areas to improve and really don't want confirmation. And, if you receive an average of 3.4 on a 5 point scale, this is extremely valuable information to help you reflect on your business and ask "How and where can we improve?"

As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are being inundated with surveys. They are important to help shape the future of business. Telling people what to answer on their survey is wrong and a waste of time and money.