My Business Partner Said Only Fools Ask for Feedback. I’m Convinced [For Real]. | by Aldric Chen | The Startup | May, 2025

You will eventually stop asking, and here’s why

Asking for feedback helps us get better, right?

Well… not quite. Getting feedback is easy. Just ask and you will hear something. But that is not the point. The million-dollar question is…

Do you trust the feedback?

I have been a customer for my lifetime. I always give my feedback when prompted by the online post-payment page, the customer satisfaction self-service kiosk in public toilets, or when the waiting staff in the restaurant pass me their tablet.

Here’s the thing.

I [tend to] inflate the positives and bury the negatives.

Why did I do that? Well, easy. If you indicate that all is good, you finish the survey in 30 seconds. If you have something to whine about… You will have enough space in the free text box to blast your laments.

Think about that.

The art of genuine feedback

“Learn to trust your gut. Don’t ask. You will not get genuine feedback. Maybe you will have 1 or 2 out of 50. Is that worth your time? Why don’t you trust your experience?”