Though it has cut corners at Yale by buying low-quality fresh fruits and eliminating shrimp, tenderloin steak, white meat chicken breast and spring rolls from its menus, food giant Aramark Corp. clearly invests generous funds in the dining hall satisfaction surveys it will distribute tonight.
The survey, a psychologically tortured document designed to affirm the work of a cost-cutting company, is produced by St. Louis-based Maritz Marketing Research Inc., the nation’s largest custom-marketing research firm.
Just how skewed is the survey? The median evaluation for 14 different questions is “good” rather than “fair” and the the worst category is “poor” rather than “very poor” to balance out “excellent.” There is also progressively less space in between categories as they move into the negative column.
A month-long Yale Daily News investigation published last month revealed Aramark has dramatically shaved the amount it spends on food and will soon cut the average meal production cost per student from $2.50 to $2.20.
Students should send Aramark a message tonight by checking the “poor” category for the taste of food, food quality and freshness and demand the company commit itself to quality, not just profits.