In a recession it is even more important than usual to stay connected to your customers. Do you know what your customers think of you and your products? Can you hear the "voice of your customers"? Do you listen to it? You should.
The best way to find out whether your customers are satisfied is to ask them. What you ask and how you ask are important. However, the most important thing is what you do with their answers. Read Customer Satisfaction Surveys to learn how to do a customer satisfaction survey that works.
Dear John,
Do you also have partners out of US, working on “the voice of the customer”?
Antonio,
Most market research firms can do Voice of the Customer surveys for you if you choose to not do it yourself. Many of the top firms are international. Search Google for market research portugal and you will find several choices