I ate lunch at Harvey's yesterday. The last time I ate there was about three years ago, when their chocolate milkshake made me quite sick. But I got hungry while shopping at the Home Depot, and since there was a Harvey's right in the store, I figured I'd give them another chance. Thankfully, I did not get sick this time (I avoided the chocolate milkshake), but the meal was still pretty disappointing and the service was slow.
While I was eating, I noticed a request for feedback on the receipt. You can complete a survey by going online or calling a 1-800 number. There was an incentive for completing the survey: I'd be entered in a bi-weekly draw for a $500 Harvey's gift certificate.
I considered completing the survey (I like surveys), but the more I thought about the incentive, the more I thought it wasn't worth my time. The thought of winning a gift card that could buy me about 250 more Harvey's hamburgers just didn't sound that appetizing. I could have tried reselling the gift card if I won, but that would have involved a lot of effort in finding a buyer on Craigslist or eBay and shipping them the gift card. I'm sure I wouldn't get anywhere near $500 for the card.
The Harvey's survey is a perfect example of how sampling bias can screw up a survey. If you don't like Harvey's, you have very little incentive to complete their survey. So the responses Harvey's gets to their survey will probably reflect a more favourable view of their restaurants than if they had a proper random sample.
I know Harvey's isn't the only restaurant to do this. Swiss Chalet offers you a free appetizer on your next order when you complete their survey. I complete it every time (usually with very favourable responses) because I love their chicken noodle soup. But if you had a bad experience and hate their appetizers, you're not going to complete the survey.
I wonder if restaurants who conduct surveys with food incentives are actually interested in honest feedback. If so, I wonder why don't they offer cash incentives instead.
Biden takes a wrong step
1 week ago
A couple of thoughts, David:
ReplyDelete1. You could offer the gift card to a reader who loves Harvey's (hint hint).
2. Though your analysis of sampling bias isn't incorrect, it's quite well known (from my experience) in the service industry that you are a lot more likely to get negative feedback than positive feedback. There's a stronger primal urge to b*tch than to praise, apparently. It's possible (and I have no data to support of refute this) that the bias you have highlighted could counteract a different bias, and, thus, produce more accurate results.
3. I would wager, no, they're not interested in honest feedback. The appearance of accepting feedback is probably all they want. It will, correctly or incorrectly, demonstrate a desire to improve quality. (Although some pizza chain - Domino's perhaps? - recently launched an ad campaign in which they address the negative feedback head on.)
I like your second point; it may very well be that two wrongs make a right in this situation. Interesting point that the restaurants might not even care about the responses either.
ReplyDeleteI didn't complete the survey, so unfortunately there won't be any gift card to give away. Sorry.