Businesses frequently use customer surveys in an attempt to improve...

Question

Businesses frequently use customer surveys in an attempt to improve sales and increase profits. However, a recent study of the effectiveness of these surveys found that among a group of businesses that sold similar products, profits declined in most of the businesses that used surveys during the course of the study but not in most of the businesses that did not use any surveys during the course of the study.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the profits of businesses that did not use customer surveys did not decline while the profits of those that used surveys did decline?

(A) When one business increases its profits, its competitors often report a decline in profits.
(B) Some businesses routinely use customer surveys.
(C) Most businesses of the kind included in the study generally administer customer surveys only as a response to complaints by customers.
(D) Customers who complete surveys do not always respond accurately to all the questions on the survey.
(E) Some of the businesses included in the study did not analyze the results of the customer surveys they conducted.

lavanya.18 · Answer

But why C?

I did not understand why C would be the answer explaining the paradox here?

bPra · Answer

As it is said in the answer choice, most businesses administered a survey only when they were getting complaints, which means people were not satisfied which could further mean probable losses.
Therefore the survey showed decreasing profits for them whereas businesses who did not administer survey during the study did not show any such loss.

tomloveless · Answer

Already failing businesses use surveys to understand why. "C".

unraveled · Answer

Businesses frequently use customer surveys in an attempt to improve sales and increase profits. However, a recent study of the effectiveness of these surveys found that among a group of businesses that sold similar products, profits declined in most of the businesses that used surveys during the course of the study but not in most of the businesses that did not use any surveys during the course of the study.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the profits of businesses that did not use customer surveys did not decline while the profits of those that used surveys did decline?

(A) When one business increases its profits, its competitors often report a decline in profits. - WRONG. As bland as it can get. No explanation offered.
(B) Some businesses routinely use customer surveys. - WRONG. So what!!. No impact on the passage.
(C) Most businesses of the kind included in the study generally administer customer surveys only as a response to complaints by customers. - CORRECT. We have our bad one. So they normally don't use those surveys to know about the complaints and do nothing about them. 
(D) Customers who complete surveys do not always respond accurately to all the questions on the survey. - WRONG. Points out the opposite half of surveys when it should have given details of first half i.e. why businesses who used surveys had profits drop. 
(E) Some of the businesses included in the study did not analyze the results of the customer surveys they conducted. - WRONG. Yes, that's the reason but did that impact the sales and profits. Needs further assumption to make is countable.

We need to find the bad among the worst four choices. POE helps instead of chosing the best.

Answer C.

Emily1122 · Answer

Here is my understanding.

Only C explains why businesses use survey did not increase in profit. It is not a strong one but it does explain. If these business already have customer complaints that means customers are not happy with them so these business may already have declined profit to begin with. Thus, it explains why these businesses use survey did not increase profits.

A) is clearly wrong.

B) does not explain because if some businesses routinely use survey, I would expect those business use survey increase in profit, but why these business in the question still have declined profit? B does not explain.

D) is wrong because it means customers do respond accurately on some questions, if this is true, then businesses that use survey could still see profit increase because they can make changes/improvement based on accurately responses.

E) says some businesses use survey did not analyze the result, but then profit could have stayed the same. It does not explain why businesses use survey have declined profit.

Businesses frequently use customer surveys in an attempt to improve sales and increase profits. However, a recent study of the effectiveness of these surveys found that among a group of businesses that sold similar products, profits declined in most of the businesses that used surveys during the course of the study but not in most of the businesses that did not use any surveys during the course of the study.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the profits of businesses that did not use customer surveys did not decline while the profits of those that used surveys did decline?

(A) When one business increases its profits, its competitors often report a decline in profits. 
 (B) Some businesses routinely use customer surveys. 
 (C) Most businesses of the kind included in the study generally administer customer surveys only as a response to complaints by customers. 
 (D) Customers who complete surveys do not always respond accurately to all the questions on the survey. 
 (E) Some of the businesses included in the study did not analyze the results of the customer surveys they conducted.

VivekSri · Answer

How to understand these types of questions easily?

Think some People bought mobile 'X' from Store A and some from Store B at the same time. Now due to Manufacturing defect product that were in Store A has some issue.

People started complaining about the product, now store A started looking the product and resolving it , once they resolve it, they gave a Feeback/survey form to get their response.

Since the product is not satisfactory sell got declined and profit also. This is exactly written in C

OA = C

Businesses frequently use customer surveys in an attempt to improve...

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Businesses frequently use customer surveys in an attempt to improve...

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