The Best Policy

"So, we've really been having some great weather lately, huh?"

Whether it's in a crowded elevator, a lunchroom, or a corporate boardroom, we've all heard phrases such as these uttered to break an awkward silence. There's something about us that seems to abhor silence; we feel compelled to say something, anything, to avert it. (There's a clever Diet 7UP TV spot that captures this perfectly.) But is it good that we so often choose to dissemble, to go the way of safe and cliched utterances, rather than using the silence as a opportunity to share our real thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints?

It's been said that honesty is the best policy. Deeper than that, freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of Western democracy. Indeed, its enshrined inviolability is one of the most cherished parts of Canadian and American constitutionalism. We are told that when our soldiers fall in foreign lands they do so in the act of upholding this brand of liberty. Yet, why are we so quick to opt for platitudes and insipid smalltalk in our lives? When given a chance to be frank and truthful, why are we so apt to be no more than careful?

I believe it has to do with the fact that we live in an adversarial society, where it is all too easy to be pigeonholed. Say one thing wrong, go one sentence too far and wham! you're labelled as being pro-war, anti-environment, or worse. Public discourse and debate is no longer about probing for the truth. Instead, it has become a trench war between polarities: left vs. right, pro-this vs. anti-that. You better choose a side, or you're nothing but a fence-sitter!

Many voices are lost in this clamor. Although it's less of a problem in market research than in the forum of politics and polemics, there is always the temptation to place a respondent into a nice, tidy bucket. Our particular dichotomies look like this: satisfied vs. dissatisfied, in-market vs. out-of-market, conversion vs. abandonment.

Including space for open-ended commentary in an e-survey can be an effective remedy. When presenting verbatim user comments to clients, the presence of swear words often elicits a few chuckles. But giving visitors a space to vent is not a matter to be taken lightly; indeed, it is one of the few remaining validators of their uniqueness.

Now that most call centers record and tag every call, customers are increasingly hesitant to speak their minds freely over the phone. Having worked in that setting for close to 18 months, I know for a fact that call recording and tagging can induce a form of neurotic paranoia among some more excitable customers. Only a safe, anonymous, and open forum for expression allows all visitors the chance to speak frankly and openly about their opinions of a brand, site, product, or company.

Segmenting, classifying, creating personas--these things will always be with us, because it is far easier to analyze strict categories of data than to treat each site visitor as thoroughly unique. But we must also propagate research methods that allow respondents to speak their version of the truth--in all its graphic, candid, and sometimes profane, glory!