Congratulations to Jim Kirk for his recent article “Magazines’ ranking rankle” (Business, March 1).
While the increasing number of published surveys may irritate residents of our health care and academic professions, can more and better information be a bad thing for the consumers of their services? I think not.
Selecting a doctor, hospital, college, business school or law school is a difficult and arduous choice often made without the availability of sufficient data and facts. I’m sure there are many readers out there who would have “chosen more wisely if they had only had more statistical information” about their providers at the time they made their decision. I know I want a heart surgeon with good numbers for my triple bypass. The same if I go to law school, a tremendous investment.
Surveys and polls may not be perfect, but they offer purchasers more information than they ever had before. And these surveys keep the providers focused on their customers’ needs, where it belongs. Best of all, it keeps our service institutions competitive, something they sorely need and shouldn’t fear.
