If we accept that some forms of communications are more effective than others, then an important question in the referral process now becomes HOW to reach out and figure out if everyone's happy BEFORE making the referral.

The options that we explored so far are 1. text based communications 2. audio based 3. video based, and 4. face to face/ in person... maybe in a few years we might have to add a few paragraphs about the metaverse!

Are text based forms of communication a good way to figure out if the customer is happy?

It definitely is the easiest to scale because you can send an email, questionnaire, survey, etc. to 1,000 customers with one click. This however doesn’t mean you're going to get the most effective and usable feedback from the process.

Text based forms will be the fastest and easiest to scale, but probably not the best to start a nuanced conversation if there's something the customer is unhappy about.

Maybe 99% of the customers might say that they are a "5" on a scale of "1 to 5" on how dissatisfied they are with something you did. This is the kind of feedback you get when you use drop down menus on a questionnaire.

But if you call 20 customers and close to half of them say things like, "that was unnecessary, that was cumbersome, I didn't appreciate XYZ, I was let down by ABC" and maybe one or two use cuss words, and you can sense undeniable tension over the phone, now you get a true sense of the problem that drop down menus don't convey.

Context, nuance, tone, aggression, disappointment, joy, elation, and other kinds of emotions don't come across well over text based forms of communication.

If you want to be sure that the customer was absolutely PUMPED before asking for a referral, perhaps text based forms might not be the best media to use for now.

As always remember that these things are contextual! Your national bank isn’t going to go through the hassle of calling you guys over the phone.

But if you’re a wedding photographer, interior decor consultant, personal shopper, or maybe even a tennis coach for teens during the long school holidays, perhaps text based forms might not be the best for you and your business.

Don’t send an email and assume everything is fine and then ask for a referral.