Des Moines #1 In Business - How About Customer Service? Take The Customer Service Survey

Hello shoppers...

All of us living, working and farming within eyeshot of 801 Grand, were happier than kindergarteners on Chocolate Milk Friday when we heard that Forbes Magazine had voted Des Moines, the best city in the U.S. for business and careers.

It must be most gratifying for those of you who pounded in stakes through wind-blown mounds of snow, and never left - you can put your tongue back in your mouth, now. Yet it's also pretty-GET THAT THING BACK IN THERE! Geesh.

Yet it's also pretty cool to us yellow-bellied side-windin varmital traitors, who ran from Des Moines over the years like it was on fire. At least give us credit for giving up our better paying gigs, better tan lines and fun big city TV news that always leads with, "Another murder...," "Gunfire erupted..." or "Beyonce was spotted..." in return for...umm...

Let me get back to you.

All I know is that we're all here and we're staying (ka)put and we're proud as punch that the city we've chosen as our home, has been nationally recognized.

Of all the metrics used in the Forbes study, however - cost of living, crime rate, job growth, subprime mortgages, college attainment and seven more - there is one glaring omission in the greenish brown eyes and the left one's creepily larger than the other, of this humble Secret Shopper: quality of customer service.

As this appears to be a hole you could drive a tractor through - not a silly little combine but one of those uber-wide monsters than can haphazardly spray deadly Treflan on, like, nine acres at a time - I'm pulling up my John Deere, laying on the airhorn that exists only on farm implements in strained analogies and presenting to you, The Des Moines Customer Service Survey.

 It consists of 10 online questions, created by your friendly question-making Unsecret Shopper. Each focuses on a fundamental part of what most of us would generally consider good customer service - greeting, smiling, engaging and thanking. There is much room for survey - taker feedback.

It'll take you about as many minutes to complete as eating a bowl of Cap N' Crunch, provided you read only the front and back and not the sides of the box and go with toast, not an english muffin. (1 piece only please, lightly buttered - ohhhh okay, put a little Skippy on, if ya gotta - ya know I spoil you, right?) 

Agreed, this is about as scientific as meteorologist John Mclaughlin seeing 3 out of 10 cows lying down on his way in to the KCCI studio, then reporting "a 30% chance of rain," but at least it's a starting point.

The goal: 5,000 responses. I've got 3 - I filled it out, and made two friends do it.

Now it's your turn.

Take the Des Moines Customer Service Survey by clicking here.

Here's the actual link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7L5RR8P

Please pass this link along to all your friends, via email, Facebook, Twitter, however your roll - much appreciated.  

I'll give you an update on the results next week.

Jonnie Wright is a customer service evaluator and trainer, professional secret shopper, marketing strategist and host of "The Unsecret Shopper Radio Show," Saturday mornings 8-9am on 1350 KRNT. Email Jonnie at jonniewright@thebuyosphere.com.