Customer Analytics For Dummies

Chapter 16

Considering the Ethics of Customer Analytics

In This Chapter

Getting informed consent

Continuing ongoing experiments

In 1963, Yale Psychologist Stanley Milgram paid volunteers $4 to “teach” another volunteer new vocabulary words. If the learner got the words wrong, he or she received an electric shock! Or so the participants believed … no shocks were actually given. Regardless, a majority of participants believed that they were shocked, which led to a concern over the ethical treatment of study participants.

Even though no one is getting shock treatments for wrong answers anymore, the debate over ethical treatment continues. There will always be problems with the way some companies handle data, especially companies that exploit new technology that people aren’t familiar with. But you can avoid being one of those companies.

If you don’t treat your customers or study participants in a fair manner (or in a manner they expect), not only will you risk losing your current customers, but it also may turn loyal customers who are currently promoters into former customers who discourage others from purchasing or using a product or service.

Getting Informed Consent

In the years ...