I usually try not to rant against specific companies in this blog, but I just bought a new car--a Lexus. I had used Lexus in the past as the benchmark for outstanding sales experiences, but it's changed. It now is aligned with every other car shopping experience I have had. It is among the worst and most distasteful buying experiences I have seen. (When will the auto manufacturers get it?!).
My rant is not about this terrible experience, but about the end. I was given a survey by the sales person. It was already completed, indicating that I was completely satisfied with the shopping experience. The salesperson explained to me, "If I don't get a top ranking, I will be fired, so I appreciate it if you would say that you are completely satisfied with everything, so I get to keep my job."
Lexus is just one more company that demonstrates they really don't care about their customers. They have such disdain for honest feedback from their customers that they have the audacity to tell us what our opinions are.
I recently read a book that discusses this much better than I can, it's the Ultimate Question, by Fred Reichheld. I encourage anyone really interested in learning from customers to read this and apply his process.
In the mean time, I hope companies learn to respect their customers and listen to them better.
