I recently received a text message from a local radio station asking if I would like to participate in a phone survey regarding the music they play. This struck as me as a refreshing “voice of customer” approach to determining what songs make the radio cut, so I texted back my consent to take part in the survey.
Unfortunately, this good idea was turned sour by very, very poor execution.
A gentleman called me at 7:00 PM. He seemed to be zoned out and aloof. He first struggled mightily to pronounce my name (admittedly, “Paul” is a tough one to nail down) and proceeded to explain the survey while slurring and stuttering his way through sentences.
He asked which artists I would like to hear more of on the station. I named three groups that I enjoy: Foo Fighters, Theory of a Deadman and Five Finger Death Punch. All three are popular bands that appear often on this particular dial destination, yet the interviewer seemed confused by my response, as if he wasn’t actually familiar with the type of music that the station plays.
He slowly repeated my answer back to me, as if he was jotting down my responses, then informed me that this portion of the survey was done (after one whole question), and that I’d be hearing back in two to three weeks to get additional feedback. Can’t wait.
It’s entirely possible – perhaps even likely – that this gentleman was not directly affiliated with the radio station, and rather was hired specifically to conduct this survey. Nevertheless, when he called me he was calling on behalf of the station and he certainly didn’t represent them in a professional manner.
The takeaway here is that while conducting this type of research can be very beneficial, it’s important to get the details right. Make sure those doing the calling are engaged, professional and have a solid understanding of the company they represent. It pays to choose your customer-facing ambassadors wisely.
Today’s post comes from Bridgz statistical analyst Paul Edwards.
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