Pretty much any survey that asks you for a rating of 1 to 5 considers anything less than 5 to be a failing score. It's ridiculous. My car dealer does the same thing. They always ask me after every service appointment if there's any reason I can't give a 5 when the survey person calls, in order to plant that idea in my head. I've also noticed with them that on the rare occasion when I do have a problem with the service appointment, I magically don't get the post-appointment survey call. I think they know when they haven't earned a 5 and alter the phone number on file for that appt.

I do feel bad for the impossible situation some of these surveys put service providers in, but I do answer honestly. If I receive excellent service that met my expectations, I answer "Met expectations." And, my expectations do vary based on the establishment - I only expect 5* service at a 5* hotel, and don't penalize a 3* hotel for not providing it. But if they do what they were supposed to, then they "met expectations." If they want me to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd gladly give out a lot of 9s and 10s if they are not labeled as "Exceeded expectations" or "Far exceeded expectations."