One of the downsides of technology is that automation can be so easy that we wind up annoying our members and customers rather than helping them.

Case in point: I recently purchased tickets for a Broadway show via StubHub. The day after attending the show, I got an email from StubHub asking me "Tell us how we did!"

Tell you how you did?!? You sent me the tickets and they worked. Isn't that what's supposed to happen? I mean, what else can we say about this transaction?

With automation, it's easy for StubHub to follow up and ask me the question. But the problem is, EVERYONE is doing this. So every time I buy anything from anyone, I get an automated survey asking me for feedback. So what do I do, every single time? I delete the email.

Which is exactly what your members do.

I'm not suggesting you not ask for feedback from your members and customers. But I am suggesting you consider how and when you ask for that feedback. An automated email is almost certain to be ignored.