The Survey Says
The Survey Says - March 31, 2022
How many times have we heard over the years “the survey says?” Why am I talking about surveys? Well, I am pretty sure the majority of readers have all purchased a new vehicle or recreational type of equipment over the past few years. I have decided to share a few of my personal opinions on “the survey”. You can agree or disagree. As Seinfeld would say “this is just one gal’s opinion!”
When I purchased my first brand new car, I paid $4000 plus taxes. I had arranged the financing through my own bank, wrote a cheque and drove away. Can you imagine, $4000 for a brand-new car? Yup, it was a nice pleasant experience. I was young, fresh out of high school and needed a good vehicle to get back and forth to work. It was a marvelous little car that Honda Civic. And of course, my father accompanied me to make sure I was treated fairly.
Things have very much changed over the years. It is a whole day process for most people to purchase a car now. Is it the most pleasant experience to buy a new car? Maybe and maybe not. And then to add to the experience trade your vehicle in. That takes another hour or two of wrangling with the salesman and sales manager. So where am I going with all of this? THE SURVEY!
You have now completed the deal. You are a new owner of a brand-new vehicle. But, before you leave, the dealership will ask you to fill out the survey that you will be getting, probably by email. And they need you to mark them 10 out of 10 for EVERY question. Even if your experience isn’t a 10 out of 10, they still need you to answer with a 10. Answering with anything less than a 10 is a failure for their dealership. Now who’s fault is this, that a 10 is the only passing mark? I think this survey idea is so utterly ridiculous. What are your thoughts? Anywhere else in life we get graded on our actual performance. Any sporting event is won or lost by their performance, not by someone saying we will pretend you played like a 10, even though you really played like an 8. How about doing an interview, writing a test, etc. You are graded on the performance for that task, as it should be!
These surveys are called Customer Service Index – CSI. They help build the pocketbooks of the dealership, as well as pay bonuses to salespeople. Apparently, some dealerships will fire a salesperson if they don’t have surveys that are consistently in the 100%. A franchise dealership absolutely depends on them. For more information on why the dealerships require these surveys you can go to www.edmunds.com for a more thorough explanation on this topic. My gripe is why put down a false number, if your experience wasn’t a 10 why should I call it a 10? And yes, you can complain to that dealership, the sales manager directly. But, to me you really shouldn’t have to lie on the survey just to please the dealership.
Where else do we have to do surveys? Well, I was on my SGI website the other day and I was asked if I would like to do a short survey after I was done getting the information I required. I said yes. It was a short 2-minute survey, and it did give me the chance to say why I liked or disliked my visit to their website. And then there are the political surveys, who would you vote for if an election was held today? Who are you planning to vote for in the next election? The list goes on and on. Agricultural surveys, casino surveys; you name it they are throwing a survey at you everywhere. Been to a grocery store? Well, at the bottom there is a survey you can go online and fill out, gas station – same thing. And I have been that person that will decide to do it, after all it’s going to take me 3-5 minutes. No wrong. 15 minutes later you’re still at it. No thanks, exit – stage left. My time is important, and I only have so much of it to do these never-ending surveys. Want a free dilly bar? Fill out the survey at the bottom of your food receipt from the ice cream store. Tried that one too. Took too long so I quit before I got to the free part. And do you remember those TV and radio surveys? They would send you a booklet in the mail to fill out and mark off what time of day you watched tv, what show, what channel, etc. Now, that was a bad survey to get involved with. So, time consuming and ridiculous. Then they wanted your husband and your kids to fill it out too. Yeah, that’s gonna happen! Not!
And how about can I have your email address? We’ll only send you an email once a week or so. You agree, and next thing you know every day you are getting an email from that store. And then your “inbox” is full of junk emails. How did that happen? One email a week – nope! Just another lie.
Another annoying survey – the telephone call. Especially when they tell you it will only take 5-7 minutes and 20 minutes later, they are still talking to you. I will try and complete short telephone surveys just because it is providing employment to someone who probably really needs that job. And yes, if they fill out enough surveys, they probably get a bonus of some type. I have been one of those tele-marketers, and it’s not an easy job, and very unrewarding. The reward was the sale.
Next and the worst are those horrible phone call scams. Everyday you can read about someone who has been scammed by a telemarketer. And sometimes for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Please, do not let yourself be that person who falls to this horrific type of scam and scum people. They prey on anyone willing to listen, and especially a senior citizen. Hang up the phone or even better mess with them. Make up a name and agree with them, that yes, you need their help. String them along as long as you can. Waste their time as they deserve to be arrested and found. And it’s always good to tell them, that you would just like to check with your spouse or adult child, who is an RCMP officer, as you never give out any information without consulting them first. The phone will go click instantly. Ask them for their number so you can call them back while you think about it. Just mess with them and waste their time. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true – it is!
And finally, I was out the other night visiting amongst friends and they shared with me how they had stayed at a chain hotel and were asked to fill out the survey when they left, so they did. They were honest and very respectful with their verbiage and how their stay was. (I read the communication email.) Just one person’s honest opinion on how their stay went at the hotel, which wasn’t a 10. They received an email back, and they are banned for life from this hotel and the chain of their hotels for life, for telling the truth. Now, how bad is that? The worst! I hope they share their story with as many people as they can, so everyone boycotts that hotel chain.
Why did I start with The Survey Says? How many people have watched this show, Family Feud? I would bet a pretty high percentage. Every question asked is answered by a survey of 100 people. And the most famous line on this game show is “the survey says”. As we age it seems game shows become quite popular with our aging population. We have time to watch the television, it tests our own brain with our own answers, and it makes for some good laughter. And we all know laughter is good for the brain. But, as far as those other business’ surveys that want us to provide to them. I’m going for a big NO. Figure out a better way. False knowledge is not truth!
Here is a quote from Plato “Knowledge is formed in a special way distinguishing it from belief. Knowledge, unlike belief, must be tied down to the truth, like the mythical tethered statues of Daedalus. As a result, knowledge is better suited to guide action.”
It took me a little while to find a song today. I ended up with “What is Truth” by the legend Johnny Cash. It was written in 1970. It was generally viewed as a protest song, a criticism of the Vietnam War and the generation gap. Johnny performed this song in front of President Nixon in the White House on April 17, 1970. Similar times, history has a way of repeating itself 52 years later.
As we watch Russia invade the Ukraine my heart goes out to this country and their people. May this war soon be over for the people of the Ukraine.
