What up with these surveys?

Everywhere we look now are customer service surveys. It is sometimes annoying. I get it! Companies want good ratings. AT WHAT COST? I say that because I was under the impression that surveys are to help improve customer service, see how a company or product can be better and all around help the manufacturer and the consumer. WRONG!

   Now you know that a blog is an opinion and I want to clarify this is just my view. I see it from both sides. As I work with dealers all the time for my customers. 

These surveys are misleading to me. Here is why. The dealers have these surveys that the customer is going to get after they purchase a car. If the customer does not answer everything perfect, then the dealer fails and loses money. 

Some of the manufacturers will take away all of the bonus money that a salesman has coming. 

So if you as the consumer answers with a 9 on cleanliness of the dealer (example), and it is out of 10?

FAIL! there is no room for error. This is one of the reasons that your dealer may be trying to really go over this with you. 

Here is what I find to be disappointing. This hurts  the consumers and the dealers! The dealers are forced to do it because of the manufacturers guidelines . They are requiring certain numbers on those surveys. It is a lot of pressure for a dealer. Especially when lets face it, you just can't make everybody happy. The consumer may have something to share about how they feel the dealership could improve.  The dealer can never get the real answers to help them improve and the consumer can never share their true feelings without really hurting their salesman that they may have really liked! The dealers do get a chance to reach out and make a situation right, but the damage is done! 
   Some dealers have a video session so that the customer can do a testimonial and this also coaches them to give the dealer the ratings they are looking for. This to me is such a SCAM! It basically is using a survey for all the wrong reasons.
Some of  ratings are used on a national level so that manufacturers can say that they get such high customer satisfaction. This is NOT accurate on all levels. Some customers are happy with everything, but you always have people that struggle with understanding or have expectations that are unrealistic!
On the other hand, dealers can be bullies, and dishonest and terrible with customer service. This is a way that a survey can hurt their pocketbooks! Whether it is by mail, email or on the phone, the answers that you are giving on the customer satisfaction survey are important. Just not maybe for all the right reasons!