Yesterday I went to one of the most famous barbecue places in Houston: Goode Company BBQ.

They are a legend in Houston, people drive from all over to get there, and there is always a line out the door. In fact, the lines are usually so long that I’ve resorted to calling in a to-go order ahead of time so I can sneak into the shorter line.

After getting home with my food I was pleasantly surprised to find a small card in the bottom of the bag. It was clean, simple, and friendly. It asked some basic questions like “Did a staff member great you warmly upon your arrival?” and “Was your meal slow roasted to perfection?”. After filling it out you could drop it directly in the mail (it was prepaid).

Is it any wonder why Goode Company BBQ is such a winner? They actively seek feedback from their customers, even when they have lines out the door.

This is the same reason why when someone cancels their subscription on my tutoring site, I often immediately refund them (without them asking) and send them a personal email to ask what happened.

This is the same reason I installed the UserVoice widget on this blog.

Constantly seek feedback from your customers, and sacrifice early profits if necessary. It will pay off in spades in the long run.

Remember that for every one person who tells you about a problem, there were probably 100 others who thought it and never said a word.

And Finally, Just For Fun…

Here are my predictions for most popular/funny/topical Halloween costumes this year:

• Mac vs. PC guys
• Sarah Palin (especially after Tina Fey played her)
• Heath Ledger’s Joker from the Dark Knight
• Hurricane Ike (at least in Houston)
• Wall-E the robot
• Michael Phelps

What’s on your list of costumes to see or wear this year?