The Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport is a gem. If you like boats, especially wooden boats with gleaming finish and white sails, I highly recommend it.

For the organizers, I have some other recommendations!
Last year as we left the show, people with clipboards were stationed at the exits to collect our feedback. My only suggestion involved the parking situation.

Arriving cars streamed down the busy street past available parking lots without realizing it, were flagged into a large full lot, and directed from one yellow apron to the next around a loop and onto the street back the way we had come. Had a few yellow aprons marched up the street a few blocks, all of us could have been directed into available slots the first time.

So this year we returned to witness the same ridiculous traffic pattern, though I think there were even more yellow aprons present to help us all turn around. 

You don’t get problems this easy to solve very often! There is no excuse for a repeat performance like this. Of course, such inanity is not just annoying once you’ve been asked for feedback and taken the time to explain the problem. When feedback is ignored, it breeds anger.

Today’s Lesson: Never ask for feedback unless you intend to use it to improve your product or service. This is especially important to consider before asking customers to submit to lengthy surveys or questioning. Customers do you a tremendous favor when they respond to your request for input. Honor their generosity with action.

Anything less is a “Lip Service Innovation.”