Abstract:

A plethora of general and industry-specific websites make it possible for consumers to share their experiences, often in the form of ratings and open-ended comments very similar to those captured via traditional customer service and satisfaction surveys. But, can/will social media replace surveys as a research tool? This presentation shares results of research comparing web-based customer comments with those captured via a traditional survey method. The presentation shows that the two data sources do not tell the same story, and offers recommendations regarding how to get the most from both sources.