Customers and employees often will tell you to your face what you want to hear. But hand them an exit survey to fill out, and they are far more likely to tell the truth (good, bad or indifferent). Experts are unsure why this happens so frequently, but one common guess is that people will offer up their opinions when they can write them down rather than verbalize them to another person. Through something like an exit survey, people can take more time to thoroughly think through questions and provide critical yet helpful answers. They realize their opinions count because they are formalized in the form of an exit survey. And through this, they have the unique occasion to give their own ideas, tell you what is good about working or shopping at your business and what is not, and even keep themselves anonymous if preferred.