They'll likely be sampling any and every pegmatite they come...

They'll likely be sampling any and every pegmatite they come across. Pegmatites are commonly zoned and not all will have spodumene immediately front and center (same goes for lepidolite). This is where things like K/Rb ratios come in to play to indicate zonation and fractionation/fertility. In short, a sample can be pretty average in terms of things like Li, Ta and Cs but drill 100m down Dip or along strike and you're in the money. And yes, a lot of rock chip samples go unreported for sure. I'd say you're pretty brave declaring that you're rock chipping before you have results back from the lab or have at least pinged it with the pXRF first.