Why Do Customers Tell Me One Thing But Give Me Feedback That Is Different?

Why do customers tell you everything is fine when you ask them face-to-face but then give you a less-than-optimal rating later in a survey? Is everyone duplicitous, or are customers stricken with experience amnesia as soon as they make it to the car park?

It turns out that it is neither a character flaw nor a medical condition that causes it. We explore what does in this episode. 

Let’s face it. It’s a frustrating issue that can make getting accurate and timely customer feedback hard. We begin with a real-life example: a restaurant experience where Colin and his friends told the manager everything was fine with their dinner despite a long wait for food. Later, they reflected on the experience more critically, but the moment to provide that feedback had passed. 

Colin blames it on being British. That may be part of the cause, but other things are happening here, too, and it isn’t uncommon. 

Our listener, Dave Hillman, has encountered this dilemma in his business. His customers express satisfaction face-to-face but provide lower scores on feedback surveys. Why does this happen, and what can businesses do to get more upfront and honest feedback?

We unpack several reasons why in-person feedback can differ from post-experience feedback. We explore factors like the fear of conflict, the desire to avoid awkwardness, and how personal guilt can deter customers from raising issues. We also look at how companies might unintentionally make it harder for customers to share feedback at the moment.

Anonymity, timing, and how feedback is solicited also play significant roles. For instance, collecting feedback immediately after the experience can result in more accurate data as perceptions change over time. We also discuss how phrasing questions differently in person versus on surveys can lead to varying responses.

In this episode, we also provide strategies for businesses to balance both types of feedback—immediate and delayed—and ensure that all input, regardless of when it arrives, is valuable and actionable.

In this episode, you will also learn:

• The cultural reasons behind why people avoid giving critical feedback in person.

• How post-experience reflections, like a football match example, shift perceptions over time.

• The role of sampling bias and how it can skew survey results.

• Why anonymity encourages honesty and how it lowers personal costs in sharing feedback.

• The importance of identifying what truly drives value for customers to guide feedback collection.

• The benefits of using independent third-party surveys to remove bias and get more accurate results.