Have you ever asked a question and didn't like the answer?

You've heard it said that a lawyer doesn't ask a question to which they don't already know the answer. There's a reason. Sometimes we can't handle the truth.

A woman doesn't ask if she looks fat in these jeans because she wants the truth - she is looking for words of affirmation. By asking a question, we become vulnerable to the one from which we asked the question.

And yet it is important to know the truth. For with the truth we can take action. Many years ago as a Regional Manager for Pearle Vision I would conduct phone surveys as part of a business review. I called 25 recent customers and asked about their experience. I hated those calls and yet the answers were beneficial for my business.

I would ask about the service, their perception of the value versus the price and if they would return and/or refer us to their friends. Most callers were kind but there were a few that used the questions as an opportunity to vent. It was those honest callers that provided the most valuable information; knowledge that I could then act upon to improve my business.

That didn't make hearing the answers any easier. I recently asked a question. The answer has permanently altered my view of the future. Not so good. But at least I know.

Although in our head we may know the answer, once asked, the answer has to be dealt with. There is a reason lawyers only ask questions to which they know the answer. Sometimes surprises are not a good thing.

However, if you really want to know what people think of you, what customers think of your business, you have to ask - even if the answer is painful to hear.

So when was the last time you asked your customers what you could do differently?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Professional Writer, queen of Query
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