I recently attended a Women in Technology (WIT) Speed Networking event, that began with a presentation on Encouraging Creativity in a Technical Environment.� The speaker was fantastic, but what really grabbed my attention was the concept of speed networking.� I was a little hesitant to throw myself out there in what sounded like a business adaptation of speed dating, but I was pleasantly surprised with the level of comfort that I felt during the networking session.� I know that I was not alone in feeling the relief that came with eliminating the awkward approach that exists in traditional networking sessions.� �

The way that this speed networking session worked was that, similar to speed dating, half of the networkers remained at their initial tables, while the other half rotated tables.� Each networking pair chatted for about five minutes before switching.� This ensured that each attendee would be able to network with at least a dozen different other attendees.� Kudos to the organizers of this event for their creativity in making a usually stressful activity a much more relaxed and pleasant one!� And I strongly encourage organizers of other events to take WIT’s lead – I have been converted to a fan of speed networking!

I just wanted to let you know that Market Connections’ July newsletter will be going out next week on Tuesday, July 24th. This month the focus is on best practices for customer satisfaction improvement and the differences between quantitative and qualitative research. Please click here if you’re interested in signing up to receive it! Â

Many thanks to each of you for taking the time to check out our blog!� We have gotten some very encouraging feedback and insightful comments regarding our postings – in fact, within minutes we received our first comment from the Market Connections community!�

If you have any comments or suggestions; or if there are specific topics you’d like to read more about, please let us know.� As market researchers, we love hearing your opinions!� The blog will be updated at least twice per month, so be sure to check back in and stay up to date on the latest trends in market research and the government!

I am pleased to announce Market Connections’ recent win of the Helios’ Apollo Award. The award, presented by Helios HR and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), celebrates our commitment to making ongoing workplace learning an organizational priority. We are pleased to be among other highly regarded companies in the DC metro area and we look forward to continuing our dedication to our employees’ personal and professional growth.

This year marked the first annual Helios’ Apollo Awards ceremony. One winner was selected from within four different organizational size categories by an independent selection committee. Details about the award and Helios HR are available at http://www.helioshr.com.

Have you ever been so pleased with a particular experience in a store, restaurant or any other establishment you do business with, that you went out of your way to tell the management how delighted you were with the experience?�

No. Neither have I.� I’m just too darn busy.

Have you ever been so dissatisfied with a rude cashier or long lines at the bank that you asked to speak to a manager or took the time to write a letter to the corporate office?

I can say, I have occasionally taken the time to complain, but more often than not, I kept my mouth shut.� I always hoped I would receive better customer service.� If I didn’t, I usually just stopped doing business with the establishment.� I am what companies hate the most – the silent customer.� Silent customers usually don’t complain to management but they most certainly will share their experiences with their friends, neighbors and co-workers. Not a good thing!

Studies show that typically only one in ten customers will proactively convey their dissatisfaction to a company, whereas 31% go on to tell friends and family.� The impact of negative word-of-mouth can be more devastating then ever as tools that amplify word-of-mouth (Internet) are increasingly more powerful.

Whether your customer-base is families or Fortune 500 firms, all businesses need to remember that a customer complaint is a gift.� A customer or client that complains about a bad experience gives the company the chance to right a wrong.� It provides an opportunity to improve.�

Outreach efforts such as customer satisfaction surveys are a great way to identify those silent customers that might go unnoticed.� Are there some that still will choose to remain silent?� Yes, but providing a mechanism for customers to give feedback is a good first step at identifying shortcomings that will ultimately lead to process improvement, increased customer satisfaction, and customer retention.
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