If you want to validate an idea or wondering how something works, it is almost always a good idea to ask the customer, but response rates are generally down on all surveys. Bad surveys can both stress your customers and alienate them.

In her recent book 'Surveys That Work', UK-based forms expert Caroline Jarrett explains a seven-step process for designing, running, and reporting on a survey that gets accurate results. In a no-nonsense style with plenty of examples about real-world compromises, the book focuses on reducing the errors that make up Total Survey Error—a key concept in survey methodology.