A Little Twist to Customer Satisfaction Research

Most of us at one time or the other have been involved in a manufacturer's Customer Satisfaction Study.  We understand the importance of this information in keeping the brand or service healthy and viable in its market.  The Customer Satisfaction information, or as some call it, Customer Relationship Management (CMR), is an integral part of the State of the Business Report and the Business Plan.  It is vitally important to know where you (and your competition) stand in the eyes of your customers.  It is equally important to know the needs, wants and desires of your customers.

If Customer Satisfaction Data is so important in developing/improving relationships between a corporation and its customers, why is this type of research not used in other important relationships?  While Customer Satisfaction has always been focused on the relationship of a brand or service with the customer, there are more important relationships where this type of research can be personally beneficial.

Have you ever considered using this same approach to understand your personal relationships where little or no research is put to use in improving those relationships.  I wonder how many talented managers ever consider adopting their business practices to insure a better personal relationship between them and their family or maybe more importantly between them and their spouses.  Maybe there would be a lot more happy marriages.  Maybe the often quoted 50% divorce rate would be lower.  Maybe more of our children would be raised in two adult families.

A little work could go a long way in improving relationships.  The Customer Satisfaction Research protocol could be a good starting point in the journey.

I just cannot let this go without a final thought.  As a Christian, I wonder if somehow I could use the technique to improve my relationship with God?  It would involve some real creative adjustments but I think it is possible.  What do you think?  How or in what way would you attempt this research?  Besides a good examination of the conscience, who would you interview for appropriate information?

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