A while ago I signed up to take web based surveys from a research company. They don't pay anything but they award points for every survey you take. Typically 500 points each survey - unless it's a long one. Once I get 10,000 points I can redeem them for this great canvas tote with their logo on it!

Leaving aside the crappy premiums - I do the surveys for fun not prizes - there is one section of the survey that always bothers me.

There is always a section of questions about various brands and companies and how you feel about them. One screen asks you to mark the companies or brands  of which you are a dissatisfied customer. I have a hard time marking anything. Not because I am never dissatisfied, but because once I am, I am no longer a customer.

But the question is always there and I can't help but wonder if there are people who continue to do business with companies that dissatisfy them and why.

I know that in some cases  the consumer may not have a choice. Their employer may mandate that they buy certain goods or services from specific sources, like their health insurance or airline travel. And those sources might not meet the individual's satisfaction.  But most often  the companies listed in the survey are retailers or chain restaurants.

What would prompt someone to remain a customer of a restaurant that dissatisfied them? I went to a Taco Bell once and was very dissatisfied. I haven't gone back.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 04:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment