Rules Change. If You’re Not Sure, Just Ask Your Customers.

It’s almost Labor Day here in the U.S. I remember being raised with the rule that you never wore white (mostly applied to shoes, from my recollection) after Labor Day. What do you think? Is the “rule” outdated?

Last week, JC Penney conducted a smart customer survey on its Facebook company page regarding this very question. The majority of the comments disagreed, saying the rule was outdated. Granted, this isn’t a scientific survey, but it certainly gives JC Penney something to think about, like maybe conducting a more formal survey of its core base and seeing if they feel the same way (my hunch is they will).

Imagine how this could impact the decisions JC Penney makes when it plans its fall lines. And while this may seem like “new” possibilities for JC Penney, keep in mind that the customer would simply see it as JC Penney meeting the customers’ expectations.

Don’t make assumptions about anything when it comes to your business. When you’re in doubt and in need of a sanity check, go straight to your customers for answers.

Have you ever conducted customer surveys? Were the results surprising?