I saw this the other day and it gave me a spring in my step. I lose count of the number of lost cat/dog posters I see and some really bring tears to your eye.  The poster stays up for days, gets weather-beaten and eventually disintegrates. Where do all the lost cats go?  Are none of them ever found? So this poster really struck a note. Good news at last!

I have to admit, and apologies to my brother and sister in law who have a much loved yorkshire terrier, I’ve never been able to stand the breed.  Rats on leads I say.   So, actually my joy had very little to do with the errant canine. Why I liked this was, as a keen advocate of good customer service, the owners had actually thought to thank those who’d helped in their search, and convey the glad tidings of Rover’s return.

So why do I think this is worth flagging up? Because we need to give back to customers, not least when they help us to solve a tricky marketing or business problem. So, when customers complete an interview, share their grievances, tell you what you need to do to win their hearts from your competitors, take the time to tell them that you’ve heard them and that you’re doing what you can to fix the problem. So much of what we do when in comes to customer satisfaction research is tantamount to relationship counselling and, as I’m sure any marriage guidance counsellor will advise, communication is key.